Crime and Planning: Building Socially Sustainable Communities

The form and layout of a built environment has a significant influence on crime by creating opportunities for it and, in turn, shaping community crime patterns. Effective urban planners and designers will consider crime when making planning and design decisions. A co-publication with the American Planning Association, Crime and Planning: Building Socially Sustainable Communities presents a comprehensive discussion of the interconnections between urban planning, criminal victimization, and crime prevention.

An introduction into the main concerns at the intersection of criminology and community planning, the book first provides an overview of crime patterns. It then explores major issues within planning and their impact on crime. Critical topics discussed include connectivity, mixed-use developments, land use and zoning, transit-oriented design, and pedestrian trails, greenways, and parks. The remaining chapters explore:

• Crime prevention theories
• Crime prevention as a central component of sustainability
• How to incorporate social sustainability and planning guidelines into local planning decisions
• Policy discussion of issues such as zoning
• How tools such as smart growth and form-based codes relate to crime and crime prevention
• Examples of how planning decisions can impact crime patterns in both a residential and retail setting, and what has already worked in real-world communities

As communities continue to grapple with foreclosure, sprawl, and infill/redevelopment, a sound understanding of how the built environment impacts crime is of increasing importance. This book provides planners with the tools and knowledge necessary to minimize the impact of crime on communities with the goal of creating socially sustainable communities.