The localization of crime prevention through environmental design in China: Theory, practice, and policy integration

This article reviews and reflects on the localization of crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) in Chinese cities and architecture. It outlines the evolution of CPTED from early physical prevention strategies to the gradual integration of social–ecological perspectives and, more recently, to a stronger emphasis on environmental resilience and human wellbeing. Drawing on three types of cases—residential communities, public landscapes, and university campuses—the study found that although safety awareness has improved, hardware-based interventions remain the dominant approach in current practice. At the policy level, national initiatives, such as “Safe Cities,” “Urban Renewal,” and the “Resilient Cities Action Plan (2025–2027),” have incorporated CPTED-related principles; however, their integration with local socio-cultural contexts remains limited. This study adopted a semi-systematic literature review, combined with analysis of Chinese policy documents and comparative case synthesis from domestic and international contexts, to identify four major challenges in the localization process: insufficient cultural adaptation, design simplification and technological bias, inadequate postconstruction maintenance, and the lack of systematic evaluation tools. Looking ahead, this article proposes four development directions: advancing digital CPTED through geographic information systems, building information models, and artificial intelligence; strengthening attention to perceived safety and environmental stress in the development of “psychological CPTED”; integrating culturally adaptive knowledge into design frameworks; and embedding CPTED into industry standards and professional education systems to reinforce institutional and human-resource support.