Understanding passengers’ fear of crime at train stations through neighbourhood types: a typological study of the Copenhagen metropolitan area

This paper presents a typomorphological analysis of train station neighbourhoods to examine passengers’ fear of crime at the station in relation to the surrounding urban form. The study defines station neighbourhood types in the Copenhagen Metropolitan area within the pedestrian catchment area, an 800 m (1/2 mile) radius around the 84 S-train stations. The types are defined through a typomorphological analysis based on urban parameters related to Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) and Placemaking. The types are compared with 9 years of passenger surveys of fear of crime at these stations. The analysis establishes three dominant station neighbourhood types and demonstrates the relationship between them and passengers’ fear of crime at the stations. The research underlines the importance of the surrounding urban environment in the design and governance of train stations, and proposes a typomorphological method to identify potentials in regional planning and in upgrade of transit-oriented developments.