文摘
Though there has been considerable research into urban crime,there is little criminological research and theoretical development on central business districts despite the fact these areas are critical in the functioning of cities. In fact,studies often exclude them because of the lack of residential population from which to draw statistical inferences. As a result,theories of urban neighborhoods may have little applicability to central business districts;therefore,little is known about the processes used to control crime and disorder in central business district neighborhoods. The purpose of this study is to address the gap in the crime literature by developing a framework,based in environmental criminology,that will enable researchers to examine central business district crime control processes. The central business district of Cincinnati is used as a single-site case study to determine the framework's ability to identify those crime control processes most likely to work in central business districts and to identify those that do not. Data are drawn from official crime statistics for the City of Cincinnati,other official documentations,direct observations,and interviews with central business district business owners and residents. Findings suggest this framework is appropriate for identifying crime control processes within central business districts. The results of this study will advance our knowledge of effective crime prevention strategies in areas where issues of ownership and crime control are less clear-cut.