Perceptions of crime and the built environment: the case of the Bloemfontein Central Business District (CBD)¹
| dc.contributor.author | Hoogendoorn, Gijsbert | |
| dc.contributor.author | Marais, Lochner | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2017-09-18T09:33:30Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2017-09-18T09:33:30Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2008 | |
| dc.description.abstract | English: Internationally, inner-city crime has been a well-documented area of urban studies. In South African urban discourse, however, crime studies and inner-city crime studies per se have been scant. Therefore, it is the aim of this article to address the paucity of academic reflection, in this regard in South Africa, by means of a case study on the spatial patterns of crime distribution, perceptions of crime, and fear of crime in the inner city of Bloemfontein, and how these factors influence urban morphology (and vice versa). This case study on one of South Africa’s middle-order cities may potentially comprise a valuable contribution, since the majority of inner-city studies on crime thus far have focused predominantly on the three major metropolitan areas of South Africa. Therefore, three arguments shall be put forward. Firstly, the impact of decentralised shopping centres on the prevalence of crime in inner cities will be highlighted. Secondly, the relationship between crime and ‘grime’ (physical decay and neglect) as causal factors in inner-city areas will be discussed. Thirdly, it will be argued that the fear of crime in the inner-city is an important consideration to be taken into account when assessing the spatial patterns and perceptions of this occurrence. In the case of Bloemfontein, this fear does not seem to be only racially related as black and white people experience the same levels of fear. By means of these arguments, an attempt will be made to contribute to the understanding of inner-city crime and its relationship to the urban form. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | Afrikaans: Binnestadmisdaad is internasionaal ’n goed gedokumenteerde veld in stedelike studies. In die Suid-Afrikaanse diskoers oor stede was studies oor geweld en studies oor binnestadgeweld per se tot dusver egter redelik skaars. Hierdie artikel het dus ten doel om die leemte in akademiese nadenke op hierdie gebied in Suid-Afrika deur middel van ’n gevallestudie oor ruimtelike verspreiding van misdaad, persepsies oor misdaad en vrees vir misdaad in Bloemfontein se binnestad te vul, asook hoe hierdie faktore die stedelike morfologie beïnvloed (en omgekeerd). Hierdie gevallestudie oor een van Suid-Afrika se middelorde-stede hou die moontlikheid in dat dit ’n waardevolle bydrae kan lewer aangesien die meeste studies oor misdaad in die binnestad tot dusver oorwegend op óf Kaapstad óf Johannesburg gefokus het. Daar word drie argumente geopper. Eerstens, die impak wat gedesentraliseerde winkelsentra op die voorkoms van misdaad in die binnestad het, word uitgewys. Tweedens, die verhouding tussen misdaad en ‘morsigheid’ as faktore wat misdaad in die binnestad veroorsaak, sal bespreek word. Derdens, word daar geargumenteer dat die vrees vir misdaad in die binnestad ’n belangrike rol speel wanneer die ruimtelik patrone en persepsies van misdaad geassesseer word. Dit lyk asof die vrees in Bloemfontein se geval nie net rasverwant is nie. Deur hierdie argumente word gepoog om ’n bydrae te lewer tot die verstaan van misdaad in die binnestad en die verhouding daarvan met stedelike vorm. | af |
| dc.description.version | Publisher's version | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.citation | Hoogendoorn, G., & Marais, L. (2008). Perceptions of crime and the built environment: the case of the Bloemfontein Central Business District (CBD)¹. Acta Structilia: Journal for the Physical and Development Sciences, 15(2), 75-96. | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.issn | 1023-0564 (print) | |
| dc.identifier.issn | 2415-0487 (online) | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11660/6926 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Inner-city crime | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Decentralisation | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Grime (decay) | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Bloemfontein CBD | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Location | en_ZA |
| dc.title | Perceptions of crime and the built environment: the case of the Bloemfontein Central Business District (CBD)¹ | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Article | en_ZA |