Update from "Defensible Space" Pioneer Oscar Newman
Concern over high crime rates and deteriorating inner-city neighborhoods has reawakened interest in Defensible Space, architect Oscar Newman's groundbreaking physical design approach to crime prevention.Creating Defensible Space, written by Newman and recently published by HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research, draws on Newman's experience carrying out and analyzing Defensible Space projects since the early 1970s. This publication provides an expert review of the Defensible Space concept and three step-by-step case studies to help communities redesign neighborhoods for greater safety.
Defensible Space has been misinterpreted, and occasionally even misused, to justify design features that have merely fenced public housing or low-income residents in or out of particular areas. In fact, Defensible Space theory encompasses a wide range of planning and design strategies that focus attention on reassigning the perceived ownership of residential space. Newman argues that when common spaces associated with highrise housing -- such as community rooms and outdoor grounds -- lack clear owners or are open to too many users, residents cannot assert responsibility for their safety and maintenance, and these places are left vulnerable to crime and vandalism. Newman advocates recreating a sense of ownership in these spaces by dividing and "assigning them to individuals and small groups to use and control as their own private areas." Once residents reestablish control of their environment, "the criminal is isolated because his turf is removed," writes Newman.
In the three case studies, which focus on both privately owned and public housing, Newman answers questions about the experience of communities that have implemented successful Defensible Space projects. Such questions include: How were plans prepared? What was the community's involvement in the planning process? What were the politics and mechanisms needed for ensuring that plans were actually built? What were the characteristics of neighborhoods where Defensible Space works?
The case studies cover:
The modification of a row-house public housing project in the South Bronx in New York City, where design strategies included the use of fencing and curbs to reassign open grounds to individual residents, as well as new paths, lighting, and play equipment to improve the appearance of the project. The overall crime rate dropped 54 percent in the first year after these changes were made.
The reorganization of an urban grid of residential streets to create mini-neighborhoods in downtown Dayton, Ohio. The Dayton experience showed that communities must do more than close streets -- a high level of citizen participation is critical at every stage. Comprehensive strategies should also involve code enforcement, special police attention, and first-time homeownership initiatives.
The dispersal of 200 highrise public housing families into scattered-site townhouses in middle-class neighborhoods of Yonkers, New York. This dispersion strategy involved integrating designs with the surrounding neighborhoods, adhering to Defensible Space concepts in grounds design, and training residents in home maintenance.
These case studies, which reflect housing problems faced by all American cities, provide valuable lessons in empowering low-income families to reclaim their neighborhoods. Copies of Creating Defensible Space are now available from HUD USER for $5 each.
