STUDIO 630

How Walkable Streets can Reduce Crime

Rotterdam police department recently tried an experimental project called ‘The Neighbourhood takes Charge’.  Police encouraged the local residents to draw up a list of things that they wanted to see improved to make their community safer and happier. The police expected for the list to include serious crimes, but the neighborhood instead wanted things like street cleaning, reduce traffic speeds, and general improvements to make the streets more walkable.

Over a two year, both residents and police saw saw some dramatic reductions in all sorts of crime:

• Drug crime dropped by 30%;
• Burglary dropped by 22%;
• Vandalism dropped by 31%
• Traffic offences dropped by 19%
• Theft dropped by 11%;
• Violence dropped by 8%

Whoever said good urban design was just about the aesthetics?

Via ThisBigCity