This study explores incidents in a spatial and temporal context to achieve suitable strategies for urban planning and policing in crime prevention/reduction. For this purpose, space and time related incidents are analyzed through new crime ecology theories within the designed loose-coupled GIS-based system at mezo-micro ecological levels in a case area within Ankara Metropolis, in 2000. Its main argument is that incidents display differences in the spatial and/or temporal distribution among planned, squatter, and in-transition settlements. In exploring distribution of incidents at global and local scales, it also searches the validity and critical adaptability of the new theories developed/practiced in North American and European countries. In line with new theories, incidents at global scale displayed clustering in space and time. Generally, incidents in aggregate, concentrated mostly in planned / less in in-transition / least in squatter areas / and particularly during spring-summer months. However, incidents against people and against property predominated respectively in squatter and planned areas, and between 18:00-00:00, and 00:00-08:00. As for local scale, incidents in aggregate, displayed spatial interaction (clustering), but no space-time interaction. Spatial distribution in time suggested that incidents persistently occur mainly in planned areas. v Incidents against property displayed highest level of spatial, and also temporal clustering at global scale / and particularly spatial clustering (particularly for commercial burglaries/thefts) and space-time clustering (for residential burglaries) at local scale. Complementarily, relatively homogenous global scale spatial distribution of incidents against people is accompanied by their non local scale spatial clustering or space-time clustering, whereby space-time dispersion was observed for simple batteries.

The creation of sustainable and safe environments nowadays moves more and more into focus for urban planners and architects. Cities should be designed in a way to contribute to social cohesion, shaping an inclusive environment and focusing on the wellbeing of its citizens. Nevertheless, these processes can be undermined by public crime and the fear of crime, which is not only affecting aspects of personal safety but also affecting the people’s behaviour. Reasons why criminality occurs are manifold, impacted by a dynamic set of socioeconomic, demographic, personal but also environmental aspects. In recent years especially the impact of factors related to urban and environmental design respectively planning received rising attention in the field of crime prevention. However, the implementation of strategies regarding ‘crime prevention through environmental design’ or ‘designing out crime’ is still in its early stage in Sweden.   This study aims to investigate spatial and temporal patterns of public crime for the case of Umeå in order to identify potential risk areas, which could receive particular attention regarding crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED). In this sense a GIS based spatial analysis had the aim to detect statistically significant hotspots of crime and furthermore to assess the development of these hotspots over time. In order to understand the nature of public crime and criminal behaviour in Umeå in a more holistic way, also temporal aspects regarding the occurrence of crime were analysed. One particularly vulnerable neighbourhood was examined with a qualitative field observation regarding the principles of crime prevention through environmental design in order to assess in which way the built environment is designed and suited to prevent and deter criminality.   Umeå displays rather clear patterns of higher crime activity, assigned to seasonal, weakly and daily periods, which are connected to higher activity in the public space. Also from a spatial perspective certain patterns are detectable with a higher vulnerability for crime at spots which generate higher activity such as shopping areas or neighbourhoods with nightlife and transport hub functions, and in general neighbourhoods with a higher building density. The neighbourhood of Ålidhem displayed thereby a high concentration of criminality, marked as a constant or even intensifying hotspot for the entire period of investigation. The results of the field observation regarding principles of CPTED are especially indicating a lack of maintenance and furthermore the street and building layout is contributing to disorientation. On the other hand, the area is in most cases well equipped for natural surveillance and provides a high amount of locations for leisure and recreation in order strengthen social cohesion.