Assessment of the perceived sense of security in the development of internal defense and local prevention by the residents of selected areas in Tabriz city based on the principles of second-generation CPTED

Objective: The sense of security is a psychological and social phenomenon with multiple dimensions. This feeling stems from individuals’ objective and acquired experiences of their surrounding conditions and situations. The aim of this study is to assess the level of perceived security among residents of selected areas in the city of Tabriz, based on the principles of second-generation Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED).Methodology: This descriptive-applied research employed both fieldwork and documentary methods for data collection. For statistical analysis, descriptive statistics and correlation methods (for inferential findings) were utilized.Findings: According to the results, the highest average sense of security reported by residents pertained to the “connection with areas outside the neighborhood” index (52.11), while the lowest was associated with the “threshold capacity” index (50.06). The overall mean of perceived security was 51.16. The average perceived sense of security among females and males was 50.02 and 52.25, respectively. A positive and significant correlation was observed between perceived security and the indices of collective culture, external neighborhood connectivity, threshold capacity, and social cohesion (p < 0.001).Conclusion: An increase in each of the indices—collective culture, connection with areas outside the neighborhood, threshold capacity, and social cohesion—is likely to enhance the perceived sense of security among residents in the selected areas of Tabriz.