Environmental Factors of Crime

This blog seeks to research how city layout and the built environment affect human behavior, specifically crime. To fully understand this topic it is essential to first understand who urban planners are and what they do. We need to understand what factors and principles guide their planning decisions and how these decisions benefit the community. Next we need to understand what, if any, sociological studies have been done on the sociological affects the built environment has on crime. Do certain building layouts deter or promote criminal activity? Are empty streets safer than busy streets? Ultimately, after these types of questions are answered, urban planners can use these studies as tools to help build better communities.

As an urban planning major, I am interested in understanding the dynamics of city life in all aspects. It is my belief that by understanding the sociological effects a city’s physical environment has on criminal activity, urban planners can better implement planning strategies to reduce community crime rates.