Reducing crime through smart design

I applaud the College Park City Council for its recent redevelopment discussions, and I must note that the EPA revitalization study is a major step toward invigorating the Route 1 corridor. College Park contains all the necessary ingredients to flourish as a world-class "college town" capable of attracting not only the brightest students, but also residents seeking the same experience.

Redevelopment, however, will not be successful unless College Park is a safe and aesthetically pleasing place where the perception and reality of criminal activity is low, and with robbery rates at a five-year high, a triumphant redevelopment seems far off. There is hope, however, and it comes in the form of the "Crime Prevention through Environmental Design" program, which attempts to reduce crime through a combination of design modifications and community organization techniques.

CPTED is a low-cost, effective program which employs, among other things, simple design modifications - such as better lighting on streets and in parking lots, clear delineation of private and public property through landscaping techniques, shorter shrubbery and an improved streetscape - in order to reduce the perception and reality of crime in College Park.

The Route 1 corridor is a prime candidate for a CPTED plan. How do you feel when you drive through the "gateway" to downtown?

Sarasota, Fla., recognized both its deteriorating and crime-ridden gateway road and downtown required a massive overhaul to spur redevelopment. Prior to 1990, visitors to Sarasota had to pass through this ramshackle area to reach the downtown. The economic corrosion of this area and the perception that "nobody cared" created a prime opportunity for criminals.

Dubbed "Gateway 2000," a working coalition of police officers, urban planners, community members and economic development specialists created - and successfully implemented - a CPTED plan that has resulted in a vibrant community with much less crime. With the legal teeth of a CPTED zoning ordinance that mandates design improvements in the special zoning district, the longevity of the Gateway 2000 study area has become more secure.

Still in effect, the ordinance served as a catalyst for redevelopment activity in the early 1990s. Every proposed project must receive a CPTED audit conducted by a representative of both the police department and the planning commission prior to commencing work. Individuals building or altering properties are not required to implement the design recommendations, but the city provides monetary incentives to encourage conformance. For example, the construction of patios and balconies is supported (to increase eyes on the street). Projects may exceed height restrictions only if the building is of mixed-use type with residential zoning on the third level (retail on the bottom floor, commercial on the second).

Each individual criterion adds up to the net effect of reducing the likelihood of victimization through minimizing the opportunity of criminal activity. Displacement of criminal activity has not occurred as crime has dropped significantly in both the study area and the rest of the city.

The beauty of Gateway 2000 is that its implementation did not require a significant investment from the city's coffers. The initial investments of property condemnation, streetscape improvements and consultant fees were offset by increased tax ratables because of an influx of visitors and increased property rehabilitation. Not only were the economic development effects plentiful, but the elected officials garnered a bounty of accolades from their constituents, thus helping to secure re-election. Criminal behavior dropped not because of a two-bit police saturation program, but by common sense design modifications.

It is time for the College Park City Council to take a holistic approach toward redevelopment. I urge the City Council to form a CPTED subcommittee in order to formulate a plan of attack. A CPTED plan must envelop the redevelopment process since improvement in the quality of life in College Park will not happen unless a bottom-up approach is employed.

Justin Auciello is a 2002 government and politics graduate, and holds a masters degree in city and regional planning from Rutgers University. He can be reached at auciello@gmail.com.