The Impact of the Built Environment on Crime and Fear of Crime in Urban Neighborhoods

ince 1994,there has been a dramatic decline in urban crime the United States. Of course, crime has not been eliminated from cities, and for residents of some urban neighborhoods, crime and the fear of crime are still facts of life. Indeed, the second of these—the fear of crime—may have more effect on some urban residents than actual crime. Because of their fear of crime, many citizens suffer psychological distress and remain prisoners in their homes. Being fearful of crime can be as problematic for an individual as being a victim of or witness to crime. Researchers have found crime and the fear of crime to be related to demographic and other social variables. Previous research has found that the level of crime in a community is significantly related to its members education, income, racial makeup, age, and length of residency. Crime is more prevalent in areas where residents have lower levels of education and income, are young, are members of minority groups, and are highly mobile. Skogan and Maxfield found that fear of crime is less likely among young and middle-aged persons who own their homes and have lived in their neighborhoods for a long time. Braungart et al. reported that fear of being victimized is especially prevalent among those segments of the population who are