Defensible Space Project: Deterring Crime and Building Community in Rogers Park
(1/1/1997-5/31/1997)
During the fall of 1996, Rogers Park Community Council (RPCC) and Loyola University Chicago's Center for Urban Research and Learning (CURL) entered into a conversation about an appropriate project to address the concerns of the community. It was agreed that a defensible space project could be most beneficial.
The three main goals of the project were:
1) To expand the residents' knowledge and awareness of defensible space strategies;
2) To develop recommendations to improve the community; and
3) To enable the residents to use the recommendations and develop a plan of action that increases community safety.
In order to achieve these identified goals and build community support, a defensible space workshop and forum were planned. The research for this report was carried out by teams of community residents and university students. The project resulted in a report, "A Defensible Space Project: Deterring Crime and Building Community in Rogers Park," outlining recommendations. The report can be used as a how-to manual for future defensible space projects.
Research Team
L. Herrin, Graduate Fellow, Criminal Justice
R. Block, Sociology, Loyola University
C. Steinbuck, Development Corp, Rogers Park Community Council
C. Lund, Undergraduate Student
D. Fordon, Undergraduate Student
S. Oommen, Undergraduate Student
C. Rigas, Undergraduate Student
M. Anderson, Undergraduate Student
D. Van Zytveld, CURL
Community Partners