Community Design and Crime: The Impact of Housing and the Built Environment

Crime is influenced by the built environment. Broken windows, crime prevention through environmental design, situational crime prevention, and economic theories of the supply of and demand for criminal opportunities offer explanations. Zoning, designs of streets and housing, locations of public transit, and land uses shape the built environment in ways that can increase or reduce crime. Cross-sectional research shows that elements of the built environment are associated with crime rates in particular places. Quasi-experimental studies show that changes in zoning and street configurations, configuration and design of housing, and access to public transit can help manage crime. The mechanisms by which such changes influence crime are not well understood, though shifts in the supply of criminal opportunities most likely play a role. This evidence is promising. It suggests that the built environment can be modified to reduce both crime and reliance on criminal justice sanctions. Place-based experiments that manipulate features of the built environment will provide evidence for policy makers to use in designing cities in ways that reduce crime.