Physical environment and fear of crime: Istanbul Bosphorus frontal view area

This study investigates the relationship between distribution of criminal activities (objective events) in an environment and the level of percieved security. With the assumption that physical characteristics of an environment effect the sense of security in an individual, this study identifies and compares the factors of physical environment that effect perception of security and objective distribution of events via statistical tests.The demographical, social and physical environmental factors were identified based on a review of literature on theoretical approaches and empirical studies related to criminal activities and sense of security. Then, the infuence of those factors on criminal activities and sense of security were tested in the Istanbul Bosphorus Frontal View Area. Three types of data were gathered: (1) distribution of criminal activities (objective events) in the forementioned area in 2007, (2) a 2008 survey conducted in the forementioned area to understand the residents? demographic structure, evaluation of physical environmental quality and sense of security, and (3) a 2010 survey conducted in site and in Dokuz Eylül University (via photgraphs of forementioned area) to understand the non-residents? evaluation of physical environmental characteristics and sense of security. The relations between (1) distribution of crime and sense of security and (2) demographical, social and physical environmental factors (independent variables) and sense of security (dependent variable) were analyzed. The influence of each independent variable over dependent variable was tested seperately. The factors which were found to be influential in individual analyses were reclassified to test the infleunce of each factor after accounting for the others via Multiple Lineer Regression analyses.In line with the related environmental psychology literature, physical environmental factors (prospect (line of sight), refuge (hiding places for offender), escape, passages between public and private properties, maintenance, aesthetic, harmony, height and amount of trees, brushes, walls and buildings) were related to sense of security. The results of this study has applied value as the results could be utilized to develop a draft design guidelines to create environments that feel safer.Keywords: Crime, fear of crime, perception of security, environmental psychology, Istanbul Bosphorus Frontal View Area