Investigation of the relationship between CPTED principles and people's feeling of safety: a pilot study in the City of Adelaide

Abstract

While CPTED concepts and principles have been incorporated into urban design policy from the federal level to that of local council, there is little research in Australia, or elsewhere, that evaluates and critiques CPTED principles in relation to urban design and people’s feelings of safety and comfort. This paper presents a pilot research project that explores the link between CPTED principles and people’s feelings of safety and comfort in an urban precinct of Adelaide, South Australia. The research combines a micro-scale analysis of the built environment using GIS mapping and a series of interviews and this paper will focus on the built environment survey methods and results. The research found that while many of the CPTED principles were identified in the urban fabric of this precinct, what makes people feel safe was not necessarily and foremost directly related to the built environment design. The main factors that contributed positively to people’s feelings about the area are the presence of activity, familiarity with the surroundings and maintenance of the area, building, or space. It is expected that the approach and methods implemented to conduct this pilot research can be adopted in a wider scale research in other parts of the City and elsewhere.