IN-PERSON: Livable Cities – New York

Abstract

Environmental criminology is a field that finds more room in big cities such as Tirana, where crime rates are higher. Not all parts of the city have the same crime rates, depending on different factors such as physical factors and social aspects. Parts of the city where crime is higher are considered “hot spots.” The focus of the study is one of Tirana’s neighborhoods, the ‘Astir’ zone. As a new neighborhood, it has had rapid and mostly informal growth during the last decade. However, a lot of transformations have changed the neighborhood recently. The study evaluates the reasons for considering “Astir” a “hot spot” in terms of crime from both a resident’s perspective and environmental analysis. It employs mixed methods, developing questionnaires of ‘Astir’ residents and visitors, observations, mapping, and photo shooting. The questionnaire (n=120) includes the ‘Astir’ residents and visitors of the neighborhood. It also looks into residents’ perceptions of neighborhood safety, physical factors that influence crime, and their sense of attachment and responsibility to the neighborhood. The study uses mapping to understand the current state and describe this particular developed urban environment. The results identify factors affecting the crime rate and how environmental design can be used as a tool to prevent crime. In a heterogeneous context, the elements that affect crime rates are overpopulation, high commercial and residential density, the presence of a high number of bars and night clubs, low maintenance and lighting problems, not enough open public spaces, and unbalanced community stabilizers.