The Crime Prevention Maturity Model: Embedding security within urban design & planning

Policy makers and practitioners across Europe are increasingly considering crime prevention within urban design, planning and development. Research has helped establish a number of urban design principles illustrated with good practice examples, based on Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). However, such case studies often do not reveal structures and capabilities critical to their successful implementation. Guidance available on addressing crime within the planning process is dependent upon specific national planning procedures in the country in which it is published. This limits the transferability of crime prevention measures described by such guidance. Developed by the EU-funded project Planning Urban Security (PLuS), the Crime Prevention Maturity Model classifies approaches to crime prevention in relation to the capabilities necessary for their implementation. PLuS reviewed interventions addressing crime and related social issues within planning processes in four EU cities: Hannover (DE), Manchester (UK), Szczecin (PL) and Vienna (AT). The model draws on knowledge from the design management and business process improvement literatures, and classifies crime prevention practices according to their integration with urban design and planning. It identifies the capabilities and structures necessary for improvement, and delivery of more effective crime prevention. The model is being used by stakeholders responsible for urban design, planning and management.