Development and Application of a Scale to Measure Station Design Quality for Personal Safety

Crime on public transport is a major concern for society and authorities, and many security measures have been adopted in public transport facilities, like stations, to reduce crime and improve the perception of passenger safety. However, a scale to measure the design quality of public transport facilities on the basis of crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) principles has not yet been developed. This paper presents the results of a research program to develop a unified measure of the overall design quality of train stations in terms of the main elements of CPTED: surveillance, access control or target hardening (deterring access to potential targets; a term used in the security industry), maintenance, territoriality, and activity support. In this study, a scale has been developed and applied to four stations in suburban Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The scores illustrate the overall station design quality and highlight elements of the stations that could be improved to enhance safety. Areas for future research and implications for practice are explored