A Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) assessment is a structured review of how a space is planned, designed and managed, with the aim of reducing opportunities for crime and improving how safe people feel when using it.
Rather than relying solely on security hardware, a CPTED assessment focuses on the built and natural environment, looking at how layout, visibility, lighting, access points, landscaping and activity patterns influence behaviour. The goal is to create places that naturally discourage antisocial or criminal activity while encouraging legitimate, positive use.
Our assessments consider how people move through and interact with a space, how ownership and boundaries are communicated, and whether sightlines and lighting support passive surveillance. Where appropriate, we also identify areas of increased risk and recommend proportionate physical security measures.
CPTED assessments are commonly undertaken for residential developments, public spaces, community facilities and commercial projects, and are most effective when integrated early in the design process. When combined with accessibility and inclusive design principles, CPTED supports environments that are not only safer, but welcoming, legible and usable for everyone.
Public and shared spaces play a critical role in how communities function, but poorly designed environments can unintentionally create opportunities for crime, antisocial behaviour or feelings of unsafety. A CPTED assessment helps identify these risks early and provides practical, design-based recommendations to address them.
In many cases, planning policies, safer design guidelines or local government requirements call for consideration of crime prevention outcomes as part of a development proposal. This is especially relevant for public spaces, multi-residential developments, community facilities and sites with unrestricted or after-hours access.
You may need a CPTED assessment to support development approvals, respond to planning or authority requirements, or demonstrate due diligence in managing safety risks. For public spaces in particular, CPTED helps ensure areas are well-used, visible and easy to navigate, encouraging positive activity while discouraging misuse.
A CPTED assessment can also help improve community confidence, reduce fear of crime and support long-term activation of a space. By considering safety alongside accessibility, amenity and maintenance, CPTED contributes to public environments that people want to use, return to and take ownership of.
