The Four Strategies of CPTED

Guidelines For Subdivisions

Often the safety measures taken in subdivision communities, such as high fences and video monitored gates, can have a negative instead of positive effect on residents. CPTED guidelines, when applied to subdivisions, can create a safe environment without the use of the more common, conspicuous methods.

For instance, streets designed with gateway treatments, roundabouts, speed tables and other "traffic calming" devices discourage speed and cut through traffic. And by keeping public areas observable, you are telling potential offenders, they'd better think twice before committing a crime.

These measures are simple, inexpensive to implement and will have a much more positive effect on residents than gates and bars.

• Access should be limited (without completely disconnecting the subdivision from adjacent subdivisions)
  
  
• Streets should be designed to discourage cut-through traffic
  
  
• Paving treatments, plantings and architectural design features such as a columned gateway guide visitors away from private areas
  
  
• Walkways should be located in such a way as to direct pedestrian traffic and should be kept unobscured

• Landscaping should not create blind spots or hiding spots
  
  
• Open green spaces and recreational areas should be located so that they can be observed from nearby homes
  
  
• Pedestrian scale street lighting should be used in high pedestrian traffic areas
  
  

• Lots, streets and houses should be designed to encourage interaction between neighbors
  
  
• Entrances should be accentuated with different paving materials, changes in street elevation, architectural and landscape design
  
  
• Residences should be clearly identified by street address numbers that are a minimum of five inches high and well lit night
  
  
• Property lines should be defined with post and pillar fencing, gates and plantings to direct pedestrian traffic
  
  
• All parking spaces should be assigned

• Interior doors that connect a garage to a building should have a single cylinder dead bolt lock
  
  
• Door locks should be located a minimum of 40 inches from adjacent windows
  
  
• Exterior doors should be hinged on the inside and should have a single cylinder dead bolt lock with a minimum one-inch throw
  
  
• New houses should not have jalousie, casement or awning style windows
  
  
• All windows should have locks
  
  
• Sliding glass doors should have one permanent door on the outside; the inside moving door should have a looking device and a pin