An evidence based approach to crime and urban design: Or, can we have vitality, sustainability and security all at once?
October 28, 2025Can streets be made safe?
October 28, 2025Research Article
Safety in Numbers: High-Resolution Analysis of Crime in Street Networks (A Chapter in The Urban Fabric of Crime and Fear)
By Hillier, B., & Sahbaz, O.
Full Citation
Hillier, B., & Sahbaz, O. (2012). Safety in numbers: high-resolution analysis of crime in street networks. In The urban fabric of crime and fear (pp. 111-137). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands.
Key Findings
The paper shows that higher residential populations linked to spaces – that is, to street segments – are pervasively associated with lower rates of both residential burglary and street robbery. There is safety in numbers. The traditional city (as advocated by the New Urbanism) seems to be vindicated. It is not, and never has been, criminogenic.