October 2025 Webinar Recap: CPTED for Parks
The US CPTED Association’s October webinar with Ben Crump and Dan Hendey explored how CPTED principles can be applied to parks and public spaces to make them safer and more inviting for everyone.
This engaging session highlighted how the perception of safety directly affects how people use parks. Even when actual crime rates are low, factors like poor lighting, graffiti, vandalism, or overgrown vegetation can make a space feel unsafe and discourage community use.
Ben and Dan walked through the four foundational CPTED principles, natural surveillance, natural access control, territorial reinforcement, and maintenance—and demonstrated how each can be applied to open spaces, trails, and recreational areas. For example, open sightlines and well-lit pathways increase visibility and reduce fear, while thoughtful landscaping, clear signage, and regular maintenance communicate care and ownership.
They also addressed how community engagement, such as community events, sports, and markets, plays a critical role in deterring unwanted behavior. When more people use a park for positive purposes, offenders feel exposed and unwelcome.
The presentation outlined common problem areas like parking lots, trailheads, restrooms, and pavilions, showing that CPTED principles can be tailored to any park size, from small neighborhood playgrounds to large regional facilities.
CPTED for Parks offers communities a practical, cost-effective way to design spaces that feel safe, encourage physical activity, and foster civic pride. When people feel comfortable using their parks, those spaces thrive, and so do the neighborhoods around them.
We invite you to download the full presentation and join us for our upcoming webinars to continue exploring how CPTED creates safer, more connected communities.
