Crime and Planning: Building Socially Sustainable Communities

 Content: Introduction  Why a Disconnect? Crime, Planning, and Sustainability  Structure of This Book  A Brief Overview of Crime and Crime Issues  Major Issues in Crime and Urban Planning  Connectivity  Mixed Land Use  Zoning  Transit-Oriented Developments  Parks, Pedestrian Trails, and Greenways  Redefining Sustainability  Redefining and Refocusing Sustainable Communities  Integrating Crime Prevention into a Socially Sustainable Planning Program  Current Crime Prevention-Planning Programs  Integrating Crime Prevention into the Everyday Planning Process  Cooperation  Efficient and Consistent Process  Participation  Context  Eliminate Opportunities  Balance  Tools for Understanding Context  The Neighborhood Impact Statement Model  NIS Example  Design Guidance  Connectivity Mixed Land Use  Transit-Oriented Developments  Parks, Pedestrian Trails, and Greenways  Planning Policy and Socially Sustainable Communities  Smart Growth  Form-Based Codes  Suburban Retrofitting Case Studies Residential Neighborhood Case Study  Housing  Street Network Land Use and Zoning  Crime Patterns  Retail District Case Study
 Abstract:             \"Presenting the first comprehensive discussion of the interconnections between urban planning, criminal victimization, and crime prevention, this book aims to provide planners with the tools and knowledge necessary to minimize the impact of crime on communities with the goal of creating socially sustainable communities. The text begins with an introduction to crime patterns and then offers urban planning tools that reduce opportunities for crime, seeking to improve planning policy. The author also includes case studies to illustrate what has already worked in real-world communities\"--
\"Introduction Few in the fields of urban planning or urban design would argue with the fact that crime is a serious and important community issue. In addition, few would dispute that the form and layout of the built environment has a large and significant influence on crime by creating opportunities for it and, by extension, shaping community crime patterns. However, when asked if they consider crime when making planning and design decisions, few planners or designers would answer in the affirmative. The potential implications of ignoring crime in the decision-making process are profound. In 2008 alone more than 11 million crimes were reported in the United States, resulting in direct financial losses of between $17 and $26 billion, in addition to incalculable personal loss.1 Crime has also been shown to be associated with decreased housing values, reduced rent prices, residential instability, home owners\' decisions to move, and general neighborhood decline.2 As a result, the public consistently views crime as one of the top public issues facing the country. Since 1997 crime has consistently been ranked by more than 85 percent of survey respondents as either the \"top issue\" or \"important but not the top issue,\" outscoring such issues as taxes on the middle class, jobs, the budget deficit, and global trade issues.3 Whether considered an economic or a social issue, crime is an important issue for communities, one that affects and is affected by the form, layout, and functioning of the built environment. This leads to the question: If crime is such an important community issue, why do planners and designers fail to consider it in their decision-making processes? Why a Disconnect?\"