Relationship Between the Street Spatial Environment and Crime Based on Quantitative Network Analysis: A Case Study in Guangzhou, China

Reduction in criminal activity would improve the quality of life and social well-being of people. Street space, as a basic element of the cognitive environment of criminals, influences the spatial distribution of criminal activities. In existing studies, the construction and calculation of street networks are too ideal, the differentiation of different pedestrian flows lacks precision, and the selection of indicators of street space characteristics lacks richness. This scenario leads to vague research results and creates difficulty in effectively guiding the related urban management. Therefore, by constructing a complex network of urban street space and using pedestrian flow data to characterize the passage potential and surveillance level of different pedestrian flows on each street, this study performed a negative binomial regression analysis to compare criminal activities with the street features of built environment, street users, and social structure. Streets with higher potential for traveler passage are found to be more anonymous and prone to crime, whereas the opposite is true for streets with high potential for local passage. Meanwhile, the distribution of various types of public facilities in the street and the mobility of the street will have an impact on criminal activities. Results of this study can help in proposing appropriate planning and policy recommendations for the refined management of urban to maintain a stable life for residents.