TY - BOOK
T1 - A Socio-Ecological Exploration of Fear of Crime in Urban Green Spaces
T2 - A Case in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
AU - Maruthaveeran, Sreetheran
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - This PhD thesis studies the topic of perceived fear of crime in urban green spaces in a Malaysian context. The research was conducted between 2011 and 2014 in Denmark and Malaysia. Although fear of crime in urban green spaces has gained considerable attention in the West, only a limited number of studies have addressed this topic in a non-Western context. The present study revealed that theories and findings from Western studies on fear of crime can be generalised to a Malaysian context, in spite of cultural and other differences. This holds important implications for the understanding of fear of crime in Malaysia and possibly also other countries. It is pertinent to further investigate the interactions of the attributes (e.g., dense vegetation, graffiti, presence of drug addicts) which evoke fear of crime in urban green spaces. Although it is important to investigate how physical / environmental aspects such as vegetation character, density and maintenance may evoke fear of crime in urban green spaces, it is fundamental to be aware that these attribute do not as such cause fear. Rather, fear is evoked by a complex interaction of the environment with other attributes (e.g., prior information on crime, previous crime experience). Therefore, a more in-depth understanding of the cumulative effect on fear of crime in urban green spaces should be studied in future research on fear of crime in urban green spaces. The aspect of fear of crime in urban green spaces is not a major focus in Malaysia, in spite of new national policies that focus on overall crime reduction in the country. The present study highlights the need for initiatives related to urban parks management that promote a better sense of security among users.
AB - This PhD thesis studies the topic of perceived fear of crime in urban green spaces in a Malaysian context. The research was conducted between 2011 and 2014 in Denmark and Malaysia. Although fear of crime in urban green spaces has gained considerable attention in the West, only a limited number of studies have addressed this topic in a non-Western context. The present study revealed that theories and findings from Western studies on fear of crime can be generalised to a Malaysian context, in spite of cultural and other differences. This holds important implications for the understanding of fear of crime in Malaysia and possibly also other countries. It is pertinent to further investigate the interactions of the attributes (e.g., dense vegetation, graffiti, presence of drug addicts) which evoke fear of crime in urban green spaces. Although it is important to investigate how physical / environmental aspects such as vegetation character, density and maintenance may evoke fear of crime in urban green spaces, it is fundamental to be aware that these attribute do not as such cause fear. Rather, fear is evoked by a complex interaction of the environment with other attributes (e.g., prior information on crime, previous crime experience). Therefore, a more in-depth understanding of the cumulative effect on fear of crime in urban green spaces should be studied in future research on fear of crime in urban green spaces. The aspect of fear of crime in urban green spaces is not a major focus in Malaysia, in spite of new national policies that focus on overall crime reduction in the country. The present study highlights the need for initiatives related to urban parks management that promote a better sense of security among users.
UR - https://soeg.kb.dk/permalink/45KBDK_KGL/fbp0ps/alma99122287532305763
M3 - Ph.D. thesis
BT - A Socio-Ecological Exploration of Fear of Crime in Urban Green Spaces
PB - Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen
ER -
