CPTED stands for Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design. Which are its four core principles?

• A. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design; natural surveillance, natural access control, territorial reinforcement, maintenance.
• B. Zoning, fencing, signage, landscaping.
• C. Lighting, alarms, cameras, patrols.
• D. Fire safety, crowd control, surveillance, access control.

Answer: (A)

CPTED aims to reduce opportunities for crime by shaping the built environment, using four core principles: natural surveillance, natural access control, territorial reinforcement, and maintenance. Natural surveillance relies on visibility—layout, sightlines, and lighting—to make potential criminal activity easily observed. Natural access control designs spaces to guide people and restrict entry points, steering legitimate users along safe, controllable paths. Territorial reinforcement uses design and cues like clear boundaries, signage, and ownership signals to make spaces feel cared for and controlled. Maintenance ensures the environment is kept up; a well-maintained space suggests guardianship and reduces the perception that it’s easy to commit crime or go unnoticed. Together, these principles create environments where opportunities for crime are minimized and legitimate users feel safe.

The other options emphasize generic security measures or separate concepts (like devices or fire safety) rather than the design-led framework CPTED uses.