Author(s)

Alan G. Phipps, Barry A. Horrobin

Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminology, University of Windsor, Windsor, Canada.
Windsor Police Service, Windsor, Canada.

A safety audit measures the safety of 36 exterior attributes of properties and streets in a low-density residential neighbourhood in terms of four principles of modern crime prevention through environmental design, namely, territoriality, natural surveillance, activity support and access control. Eighty-three residents have walked around each of their small neighbourhoods, and audited the safeties of its area, individual private properties, and adjacent area in daylight; and the safeties of its area, properties, and exterior lighting in darkness. Findings are that older-urban neighbourhoods’ overall safety percentages and attribute safeties in daylight and darkness were consistently lower than those in newer suburban, rural or small-town ones; and frequently lower than those in newer-urban neighbourhoods, or older suburban, rural or small-town ones. Recommendations are about improving 12 less safe or unsafe attributes by means of physical planning and environmental design. Also having identified those attributes, we speculate about replicating the safety audit via online Street Views of existing Canadian neighbourhoods.

Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED), Safety in Low-Density Residential Neighbourhoods, Safety Audit Survey, Canada

Phipps, A. and Horrobin, B. (2014) Measuring Exterior Safety of Canadian Residential Neighbourhoods. Journal of Building Construction and Planning Research, 2, 132-149. doi: 10.4236/jbcpr.2014.22012.