A Model Relating Visual Attributes in the Residential Environment to Fear of Crime

Jack L. Nasar

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DOI: 10.2190/4EEQ-C09R-M4MX-JGA0

Abstract

In this research, the investigator derived empirically multiple regression equations predicting fear of crime as a function of judged visual attributes of residential exteriors. Slides of thirty residential sites were used as stimuli. In a first phase, between four and fifteen planners and architects were requested to rate visual attributes in each setting on eighteen bi-polar descriptor scales. In a second phase, lay participants of two kinds (26 elderly, and 47 people diverse in age) were asked to evaluate each setting on a bi-polar scale assessing the expected rate of vandalism, robbery, burglary, and assault. The multiple regression equations for both the elderly and the more diverse population showed significant correlations between visual attributes in the scenes and fear of crime.

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