Applied criminology research

Applied criminology research

Analysing the environmental factors influencing crime prevention and improving the sense of security in urban parks (case study: Abidar Park Sanandaj City)

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Afshin Abdollahi 1
Mehdi Saidi 2
Hedieh sayari 3
1 Associate Professor Department of Law, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran. (Corresponding Author). Email: a.abdollahi@uok.ac.ir
2 Professor, Department of Urban Planning, Faculty of Art and Architecture, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran. Email: m.saidi@uok.ac.ir
3 M.A. Student، Criminal Law and Criminology, Department of Law, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran. Email: hedieh.sayari@uok.ac.ir
10.22034/aqcr.2025.2071622.1111
Abstract
Field and Aims: Safety and security, as one of the fundamental pillars of social stability, play a crucial role in the extent of citizens' use of and satisfaction with urban parks. This study was conducted with the aim of analysing the environmental factors affecting crime prevention and improving the sense of security in Abidar Park of Sanandaj, drawing on the theoretical framework of Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED).
Method: The present applied research utilised a quantitative method with an analytical survey approach. Data were collected by distributing a researcher-made questionnaire based on five dimensions- environmental, physical-spatial, landscape, social and functional- among 400 park visitors in the spring of 2024. Data were analysed using SPSS® version 27 software and Pearson's correlation test.
Findings and Conclusions: The findings revealed that in the social dimension, the indicator "presence of a significant number of people in the space" showed the strongest correlation (0.987), making it the most influential factor for security. In the visual dimension, "improved visibility and surveillance through appropriate lighting" had a coefficient of 0.650, while in the functional dimension, "diverse cultural spaces" had a coefficient of 0.634; both contributed most significantly to creating security. In the environmental domain, "absence of blind spots and hidden areas" had a coefficient of 0.399, and in the physical-spatial dimension, "Sufficient space area and size," with a negative correlation (-0.400), indicate reduced security in overly expansive spaces and were identified as key factors. These findings can be interpreted through three main strategies: enhancing natural surveillance by promoting presence and effective lighting; controlling territory by managing space size and functional diversity; and improving environmental maintenance by eliminating blind spots and developing cultural spaces. Together, these strategies provide a comprehensive framework for establishing sustainable security in Abidar Park.
Keywords
Sense of security
urban parks
crime prevention through environmental design
Abidar park Sanandaj city

Subjects

- افرادی، کاظم. (۱۳۹۵). مبلمان شهری و کاهش احتمال وقوع جرم در فضاهای شهری جرم‌خیز (مطالعه موردی: بوستان کارگران شهر بیرجند). دانش انتظامی خراسان جنوبی، 5(18)، 23-51.
http://skh.jrl.police.ir/article_15090.html
- امانی‌پور، شمیم، و مشایخ، پرنیان. (۱۴۰۰). بررسی انواع روش‌های پیشگیری از جرم. ارائه شده در اولین کنفرانس بین‌المللی پژوهش‌های حقوق، علوم سیاسی و مسئولیت حقوقی کادر درمانی.
- بمانیان، محمدرضا؛ رفیعیان، مجتبی و ضابطیان، الهام. (1388). سنجش عوامل مؤثر بر ارتقای امنیت زنان در محیط‌های شـهری. پژوهش زنان، 7(3)، 49-67.
https://jwdp.ut.ac.ir/article_19695.html
- تقی‌پور، ملیحه، حیدری، علی‌اکبر، و نریمانی، فرزانه. (۱۴۰۲). بررسی نقش نظام رفتاری در اجتماع‌پذیری پارک‌های شهری؛ پژوهش موردی پارک آزادی شیراز. پژوهش‌های بوم‌شناسی شهری، 14(30)، 21-42.
https://grup.journals.pnu.ac.ir/article_9947.html
- حاتمی‌نژاد، حسین، زیاری، کرامت الله، و پوراحمد، احمد. (1399). نقش فضاهای شهری در خلق الگوهای رفتاری ناهنجار با تأکید بر عامل پیش‌گیری از وقوع جرم در محله چهارباغ منطقه ثامن مشهد. مطالعات ساختار و کارکرد شهری، 7(24)، 99-127.
https://shahr.journals.umz.ac.ir/article_2844.html
- حاصل‌نژاد، محمد، شمس‌الدینی، علی، و رضایی، محمدرضا. (1398). تحلیلی بر شاخص‌های مؤثر بر احساس عدم امنیت در بافت‌های فرسوده شهری (مطالعه موردی: بافت فرسوده شهر دوگنبدان). مطالعات نواحی شهری، 6(15)، 129-144.
https://jusg.uk.ac.ir/article_2257.html
- خانی، سعید، راست‌خدیو، آرمان، و عبداللهی، افشین. (1402). وندالیسم در پارک‌های شهری؛ تحلیلی بر ویژگی‌های جمعیتی و قصد و رفتار وندال‌ها در شهر مریوان مسائل اجتماعی ایران ۱۴۰۲. مسائل اجتماعی ایران، ۱۴(۲)، 200-165.
https://jspi.khu.ac.ir/article-1-3645-fa.html
- فرخنده، احمد، فاطمی‌نیا، مهران، و حسین قلی‌پور، زهرا. (1402). چیدمان فضایی پارک‌های شهری؛ تعیین نقاط القاکننده حس ترس از جرم (مطالعه موردی: پارک تپه باشی شهر نقده). هنرهای تجسمی، 28(4)، 157-170.
https://jfava.ut.ac.ir/article_94610.html
- فرخی، کورش. (1399). عوامل مؤثر در سطح کلان برای پیشگیری از جرم و تحقق عدالت کیفری/بخش اول. اصلاح و تربیت، 54(136)، 39-41.
https://www.noormags.ir/view/fa/articlepage/1025479
- کانونی، رضا، ایمانی، بهرام، حبیب‌زاده، عظیم، و مسلمی، آرمان. (1394). سنجش احساس امنیـت اجتمـاعی در مناطق شهری (مطالعـه مـوردی: شـهر اردبیـل). پژوهشــنامه جغرافیــای انتظــامی، 3(10)، 1-34.
http://pogra.jrl.police.ir/article_9673.html
- کاوش‌نیا، حامد، بندرآباد، علیرضا، و مدیری، آتوسا. (1396). مؤلفه‌ها و شاخص‌های شکل‌گیری مکان به عرصه‌های شهری از منظر نظریه انتقادی. مدیریت شهری.
- لاله ماژین، بهروز. (1393). رویکردهای پلیس در پیشگیری انتظامی از جرم. نشریه دانش انتظامی بوشهر، (5)17، 87-111.
http://boushehr.jrl.police.ir/article_14662.html
- لنگ، جان. (1386). آفرینش نظریه معماری، نقش علوم رفتاری در طراحی محیط (علیرضا عینیفر، مترجم). دانشگاه تهران.
- مقیمی، نوید، و مومنی، کورش. (1398). بررسی و ارزیابی کارایی فضاهای شهری در نیازمندی‌های سالمندان با تأکید بر پارک‌های شهری. نگرش‌های نو در جغرافیای انسانی، (11)43، 397-414.
https://www.magiran.com/paper/1997875
- نجفی ابرندآبادی، علی‌حسین، و شیری، عباس. (1386). بررسی لایحه پیشگیری از وقوع جرم (با رویکرد قضایی). مطالعات پیشگیری از جرم، 2(3)، 43-60.
http://cps.jrl.police.ir/article_13423.html
- پورتوسلی، مسعود، و عظیمی‌فر، سیده زهره. (1397). استفاده از داده‌های حجیم و بهبود برنامه‌ریزی ترافیک شهری با هدف کاهش حجم ترافیک(دانشگاه شیراز، دانشکده مهندسی برق و کامپیوتر).
- صادقی آذر، محمدرضا، و ممی‌پور، امیررضا. (1402). بررسی روان‌شناختی پیشگیری زودرس از جرم با رویکردهای خانواده و مدرسه مدار. اولین همایش ملی روانشناسی جرم.
- محمدی بیرنگ، مهدیه، و آذر، علی. 1399. تحلیل احساس امنیت زنان در فضاهای عمومی با تأکید بر پارک‌های شهری، مطالعه موردی: تبریز. پژوهش‌های بوم‌شناسی شهری، (10)20، 27-40.
https://grup.journals.pnu.ac.ir/article_7076.html
-Armitage, R. (2018). Burglars’ take on crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED): Reconsidering the relevance from an offender perspective. Security Journal, 31(1), 285–304.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/s41284-017-0101-6
- Ayala-Azcárraga, C., Diaz, D., & Zambrano, L. (2019). Characteristics of urban parks and their relation to user well-being. Landscape and urban planning, 189, 27–35.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0169204619302087
- Browning,M. H., & Rigolon, A. (2019). School green space and its impact on academic performance: A systematic literature review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(3), 429.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30717301/
- Chalfin, A., Hansen, B., Lerner, J., & Parker, L. (2022). Reducing crime through environmental design: Evidence from a randomized experiment of street lighting in New York City. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 38, 127–157.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10940-020-09490-6
- Costantini, M., Meco, I., & Paradiso, A. (2018). Do inequality, unemployment and deterrence affect crime over the long run? Regional Studies, 52(4), 558–571
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00343404.2017.1341626.
- Cialdini, R. B. (2020). Crafting normative messages to protect the environment. Current Directions in Psychological Science,  12 (4), 105–109.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1111/1467-8721.01242
- Cozens, P., McLeod, S., & Matthews, J. (2018). Visual representations in crime prevention: exploring the use of building information modelling (BIM) to investigate burglary and crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED). Crime Prevention and Community Safety, 20, 63–83.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/s41300-018-0039-6
- De Nadai, M., Xu, Y., Letouzé, E., González, M. C., & Lepri, B. (2020). Socio-economic, built environment, and mobility conditions associated with crime: a study of multiple cities. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 13871.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-70808-2
- Duan, J., Wang, Y., Fan, C., Xia, B., & de Groot, R. (2018). Perception of urban environmental risks and the effects of urban green infrastructures (UGIs) on human well-being in four public green spaces of Guangzhou, China. Environmental management, 62(3), 500–517.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00267-018-1068-8
- Ebrahimzadeh, I., & Esfandyarimehni, H. (2018). Examining Impact of Pedestrian Zones Establishment on Sustainable Tourism Development (Case Study Panzdah-e-Khordad pedestrian in Iran). urban tourism, 5(3), 131–142.
https://jut.ut.ac.ir/article_68087.html?lang=en
- Farahani, N. G., Hosseini, J. F., Mirdamadi, M., & Omidi, M). (2025)). The role of communication tools in urban green space protection: A social innovation perspective from Karaj, Iran. International Journal of Geoheritage and Parks.
- Faraji, A., & Farkhondeh, A. (2021). A framework of urban furniture design for crime reduction. Conference: 8th International Conference on Mechanics, Construction, Industry and Civil Engineering, mmiconfAt: Istanbul-Turkey.
- Gehl, J. (2020). Cities for people. Island Press.
Hosseingholipour, Z., & Pakzad, E. (2022). Measuring potential accessibility power of urban fabric (PAPUF): the case of Dowlatabad, Kermanshah city. GeoJournal, 87(2), 935–955.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10708-020-10288-z
- Jansson, M., Fors, H., Lindgren, T., & Wiström, B. (2018). Perceived personal safety in relation to urban woodland vegetation – A review. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 12(2), 127-133.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257669116_Perceived_personal_safety_in_relation_to_urban_woodland_vegetation_-_A_review
- Kanwal, S., Rasheed, M. I., Pitafi, A. H., Pitafi, A., & Ren, M. (2020). Road and transport infrastructure development and community support for tourism: The role of perceived benefits, and community satisfaction. Tourism Management, 77, 104014.
- Karimi, M., Bemanian, M. R., Ansari, M., & Mansouri, S. A. (2023). Recognition of the Components of the Urban Landscape Visual System Elements and Values. MANZAR, the Scientific Journal of landscape, 15(62), 72-158.
https://www.manzar-sj.com/article_149837.html?lang=en
- Kim, D. H., & Noh, K. B. (2018). Perceived adequacy of illumination and pedestrians’ night-time experiences in urban obscured spaces: A case of London. Indoor and Built Environment, 27(8), 1134–1148.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1420326X18790630
- Kuo, F. E., & Sullivan, W. C. (2016). Environment and crime in the inner city: Does vegetation reduce crime? Environment and Behavior, 33(3), 343-367.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/249624302_Environment_and_Crime_in_the_Inner_City_Does_Vegetation_Reduce_Crime
- Lei, W. S. C., Suntikul, W., & Chen, Z .(2023). Tourism development induced social change. Annals of Tourism Research Empirical Insights, 4(1), 100088.
- Lis, A., Pardela, Ł., & Iwankowski, P. (2019). Impact of vegetation on perceived safety and preference in city parks. Sustainability, 11(22),6324.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337167312_Impact_of_Vegetation_on_Perceived_Safety_and_Preference_in_City_Parks
- Li, D., & Sullivan, W. C. (2019). Impact of views to school landscapes on recovery from stress and mental fatigue. Landscape and Urban Planning,  148, 149-158.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0169204615002571
- Loewen, L. J., Steel, G. D., & Suedfeld, P. (2018). Perceived safety from crime in the urban environment. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 13(4), 323-331.
- Luo, S., Xie, J., & Furuya, K. (2021). “We need such a space”: Residents’ motives for visiting urban green spaces during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sustainability, 13(12), 6806.
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/12/6806
- Mahrous, A. M., Moustafa, Y. M., & Abou El-Ela, M. A. (2018). Physical characteristics and perceived security in urban parks: Investigation in the Egyptian context. Ain Shams Engineering Journal, 9(4), 3055–3066.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2090447918300583
- Mak, B. K., & Jim, C. Y. (2022). Contributions of human and environmental factors to concerns of personal safety and crime in urban parks. Security Journal, 35(1), 263–293.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/s41284-020-00277-9
- Marquet, O., Ogletree, S. S., Hipp, J. A., Suau, L. J., Horvath, C. B., - Sinykin, A., & Floyd, M. F. (2020). Effects of crime type and location on park use behavior. Preventing chronic disease, 17, E73.
- MBONYUMUVUNYI, J. M. V. (2021). Contribution of Smart Intelligent Video surveillance solutions for public safety in Kigali City: Case study of Rwanda National Police College of science and Technology].
- Mihinjac, M., & Saville, G. (2019). Third-generation crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED). Social Sciences, 8(6), 182.
- Mohammadi, S. M. A. (2021). The Role of Vegetation in Formation of Social Anomalies and Perceived Safety in Urban Parks (Case study: Shush Park in District 12 of Tehran). Manzar: The Iranian Scientific Journal of Landscape, 13(54(.
Molnár, J. I. (2020). The Relationship between Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) and Criminal Geography (CG). Magyar Rendészet, 20(4), 133–149–133–149.
Neocleous, M. (2022). The politics of immunity: Security and the policing of bodies. Verso Books.
Nguyen, Q. H. (2021). Impact of investment in tourism infrastructure development on attracting international visitors: A nonlinear panel ARDL approach using Vietnam’s data. Economies, 9(3), 131.
 https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7099/9/3/131
Nwabuko, S. O., Agwu, K. D., Irouke, V. M., & Ilouno, D. O. (2024). Crime and Infrastructure: A Case Study of Enugu Urban. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 8(5), 491–508  . https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2024.805037
Pidlisna, O., Simonova, A., Ivanova, N., Bondarenko, V., & Yesipov, A. (2023). Harmonisation of the urban environment by means of visual art, lighting design, and architecture. Acta Scientiarum Polonorum Administratio Locorum, 22(1), 59–72.
https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=1176043
Piroozfar, P., Farr, E. R., Aboagye-Nimo, E., & Osei-Berchie, J. (2019). Crime prevention in urban spaces through environmental design: A critical UK perspective. Cities, 95, 102411.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2019.102411
QUINTERO, J. C. C. (2019). Reducing Fear of Crime through Design against Crime.
https://opac.ll.chiba-u.jp/da/curator/107374/TLA_0324
Razali, A., Mustaffa, J., & Kamsani, S. R. (2021). Reducing recidivism among former offenders: Strategies to increase success in social reintegration. Turkish Online Journal of Qualitative Inquiry, 12(3), 5672-5685.
https://tojqi.net/index.php/journal/article/view/2548
Sarre, R. (2024). Preventing Crime: What We Know, and What We Need to Do. Springer Nature.
https://tojqi.net/index.php/journal/article/view/2548
- Seifi, M., Abdullah, A., Haron, S., & Salman, A. (2019). Creating secured residential places: Conflicting design elements of natural surveillance, access control and territoriality. IOP conference series: Materials science and engineering. https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1757-899X/636/1/012017/meta
- Schultz, P. W., Bator, R. J., Large, L. B., Bruni, C. M., & Tabanico, J. J. (2023). Littering in context: Personal and environmental predictors of littering behavior. Environment and Behavior, 45(1), 35-59.  https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0013916511412179
- Socha, R., & Kogut, B. (2020). Urban video surveillance as a tool to improve security in public spaces. Sustainability, 12(15), 6210.
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/15/6210
- Soni, S., Shankar, V. G., & Chaurasia, S. (2019). Route-the safe: A robust model for safest route prediction using crime and accidental data. Int. J. Adv. Sci. Technol, 28(16), 1415–1428.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Venkatesh-Gauri-Shankar/publication/338096313
- Soomro, T. R., & Hussain, M. (2019). Social Media-Related Cybercrimes and Techniques for Their Prevention. Appl. Comput. Syst., 24(1), 9–17.         https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333944511
- Sugiama, A. G., Oktavia, H. C., & Karlina, M. (2022). The effect of tourism infrastructure asset quality on tourist satisfaction: a case on forest tourism in Tasikmalaya Regency. International Journal of Applied Sciences in Tourism and Events, 6(1), 65–71.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/361714260
- Sutton, A., Cherney, A., White, R., & Clancey, G. (2021). Crime prevention. Cambridge University Press.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/43501802
Vagi, K. J., Stevens, M. R., Simon, T. R., Basile, K. C., Carter, S. P., & Carter, S. L. (2018). Crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) characteristics associated with violence and safety in middle schools. Journal of school health, 88(4), 296–305.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/josh.12609
- Van Cauwenberg, J., Van Holle, V., Simons, D., Deridder, R., Clarys, P., Goubert, L., Nasar, J., Salmon, J., De Bourdeaudhuij, I., & Deforche, B. (2018). Environmental factors influencing older adults’ walking for transportation: A study using walk-along interviews. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity,  15 (1), 118.          https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/full/10.5555/20123247092
- Vanderveen, G. (2017). Visual methods in research on fear of crime: A critical assessment. In The Routledge international handbook on fear of crime (pp. 170–189). Routledge.
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315651781-13
- Weisburd, S. (2021). Police presence, rapid response rates, and crime prevention. Review of Economics and Statistics, 103(2), 280–293.          https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/s41284-017-0101-6
Weisburd, D., Groff, E. R., & Yang, S. M. (2019). The importance of place in policing: Empirical evidence and policy recommendations. Stockholm: The Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention.
 https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/importance-place-policing-empirical-evidence-and-policy
Welsh, B. C., & Farrington, D. P. (2019). Public area CCTV and crime prevention: An updated systematic review and meta‐analysis. Justice Quarterly,  26 (4), 716–745.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07418820802506206
Whyte, W. H. (2018). The social life of small urban spaces. Project for Public Spaces.
https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/55908872

  • Receive Date 13 September 2025
  • Revise Date 16 November 2025
  • Accept Date 22 November 2025
  • First Publish Date 29 November 2025
  • Publish Date 29 November 2025