Evaluation of CPTED principles in the housing architecture of rural areas in the North of Iran (Case studies: Sedaposhte and Ormamalal)

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Abstract

Rural crime can be a cause of some problems for villagers; however, less attention has been paid to security in rural areas. In this study, it is tried to answer whether the variety of rural architecture of houses in villages in the North of Iran can affect crime rates. Therefore, the positive and negative impacts of the designed built environment on crime prevention have been assessed. For this purpose, two villages as case studies, Sedaposhte and Ormamalal, with different architecture and landscaping are analyzed from the CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) approach. After surveying thirty houses in each village and observation different sites, the results demonstrate that some reasons, namely the areas of openings and verandas, hierarchy of spaces, placement of storehouses, types of entrance and fence in residential buildings, and quality of the maintenance of neighborhoods can play vital roles in the decline of residential and farm burglary.

Introduction

Throughout history, safety has been perceived as an important factor in the social life of every society (Cozens, 2008; Matijosaitiene et al., 2018). In Carmona's opinion, safety and security are individual criteria for the assessment of the quality of life in physical environments (Carmona et al., 2003). The growth of an area relates to its security. If an area is considered to be unsafe, the inclination of visiting or living in such an area, the conditions of its development, and the quality of life will be exacerbated (Colquhoun, 2007) and it has an adverse impact on social cohesion and relations between people (Tripathi, 2017).

Rural communities are defined as “places with small population sizes/densities, areas where people are more likely to know each other's business and come into regular contact with each other” (Grote and Neubacher, 2016, p. 10). Statistics published by IFAD (2011) showed that almost 50% of the population in the world was living in rural areas. This rate in Iran, as a developing country, was approximately 30% in 2011 (Statistic Center of Iran, 2011). As well, the risk of property crime in rural places is 70% higher than urban ones in overall (Marshall and Johnson, 2005). Thus, security and crime issues in rural communities possess high priority. Meanwhile, based on routine activity theory (crime triangle), crime occurs when a likely offender and an easy victim or target come together in a suitable location (Lawrence and Felson, 1979). Regarding this theory, environmental variables such as lack of guardianship and public eyes may offer suitable conditions for motivated offenders to commit a crime (Benko and German, 2016). In conditions that undertaking illegal acts make more risks, or victims do not be considered an easy target, or difficulties are provided for potential offenders by means of arrangement and development of the unfavorable built environment, crime opportunities will decline (Walsh and Jorgensen, 2017; Hedayati Marzbali et al., 2016).

Undoubtedly, without considering the context of crime and the local environment, the application of crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) that brings advantages for a western society may fail in other geographical areas, for example in the Middle East. Understanding the features of the context, during research and practice of this theory, is highly important in such countries (Ekblom et al., 2013). Arabi et al., 2020 claim that although CPTED is a well-known knowledge in Iran, its practice is limited to a few projects in Tehran, for example, urban planning in Golabdreh district. This article aims to examine whether two villages, comprised of similar current situations in most aspects including demographic, local, social and economic status as well as people's lifestyles except to environmental design, have similar private property crime rates or not. Additionally, it analyzes and compares the CPTED approach, which is naturally applied in the sustainable vernacular architecture of rural districts in the North of Iran (Guilan Province), and finally, it examines the impacts of its application on the number of crime rates.

Section snippets

Rural crime

Rural crime is a multi-faceted category of crimes including property, burglary, vandalism, violent and other types of crime which happen in private properties or public spaces in small villages, countryside and agricultural areas (Fraser, 2011; Francisco and Chénier, 2005; Harkness, 2017). Indeed, rural crimes generally have been introduced as farm crimes consist of property offenses on farms and environmental offenses that occur outside of the small and big cities (Barclay et al., 2007).

Methods

Throughout this article, as a causal-comparative study, with the approach of field research, we need to collect information and categorize them in different parts to specify the impact of environmental design in the change of rural property crime rate in the villages of the North of Iran. After a review of the study on rural crime, CPTED and its principles from the library and online resources, a list of main measures was obtained. Subsequently, among some villages with available information,

Geographical/local information

Sedaposhte and Ormamalal are two villages in Guilan province (Geographically located in the North of Iran, near the Caspian Sea) respectively situated in Lahijan and Rezvanshahr with 92 Km distance from each other (See Fig. 1). Sedaposhte as a plain village contains two neighborhoods (Sedaposhte and Lakmesar) with less than 120 Hectare total area and has a moderate (cool) and humid climate (Kasmaei, 1992). On the other side, Ormamalal with about 140 Hectare total area is a mountain village in

Conclusion

As a rational conclusion, both villages, Sedaposhte and Ormamalal, have general similarities in terms of demographic, social, economic, geographical and local factors. Therefore, the reasons for occurring more private property crimes in Ormamalal compared to Sedaposhte can be found in differences in the rural architecture of houses. Although the objectives of sharp differences of the architecture of houses may stem from the lifestyle of the residents and, above all climatic reasons and

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