ABSTRACT

This chapter aims to examine the causal mechanisms underlying the relationship of physical design to crime and fear of crime. The larger the building, the lower the level of social interaction and, in turn, the lower the rate of personal crime. Building size has a large total effect on residents’ fear of crime, but despite its important indirect effects on personal crime, the total effect of building size on personal crime is not as strong as expected. The defensible space explanation for this link between physical design and crime is that certain design features of residential environments encourage people to extend their sphere of influence beyond the immediate confines of their individual dwelling units to adjacent areas. This extension of the home inhibits criminal activity and encourages a sense of safety. The primary source of data is a household survey of a stratified probability sample of 2,655 male and female adult residents.