Crime
Prevention
Through
Environmental
Design
C.P.T.E.D.

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design or CPTED (pronounced "sep-ted") is based upon the belief that: "the proper design and effective use of the built environment can lead to a reduction in the fear and an improvement in the quality of life."

The four principles of CPTED are:

Natural surveillance

Natural Access Control

Territorial Reinforcement

Maintenance and Management.

CPTED promotes design principles that encourage safe behavior and reduce the opportunities for crime to occur.

The CPTED principles can be used to assist with the planning and design of your building and improving the overall security. The following strategies are considered: clear sight lines, adequate lighting, minimize concealed and isolated routes, avoid entrapment, reduce isolation, promote mixed land use, use of activity generators, create a sense of ownership through maintenance and management, provide signs and information (wayfinding) and improve overall design of the built environment.