Placing physical features, activities, and people in ways that maximize the ability to see what's going on discourages crime. Barriers, such as bushes, sheds, or shadows, make it difficult to observe activity. Landscaping and lighting can be planned to promote natural surveillance from inside a home or building and from the outside by neighbors or people passing by. Encouraging legitimate activity in public spaces helps discourage crime. A basketball court in a public park or community center will provide recreation for youth, while making strangers more obvious and increasing active natural surveillance and the feeling of ownership.
Access control can be as simple as a neighbor on the front porch or a front office.
Other strategies include closing streets to through traffic or introducing neighborhood-based parking stickers. These principles are blended in the planning or remodeling of public areas that range from parks and streets to office buildings and housing developments. Some jurisdictions have incorporated these principles into more comprehensive approaches. If a space has no designated purpose, is poorly defined, or is not properly designed to support and control the intended function, that space may generate crime and fear unless modifications are made. Thus, the challenge is to design a parking deck or position public restrooms that are not only functional, but also maximize the personal safety of legitimate users.