Book excerpt: There is currently a great deal of interest in crime prevention and how it can be reduced through better design. Design for a Secure Residential Environment provides the framework on which the risk of crime can be reduced through sensible design of the vulnerable parts of houses, community buildings and small commercial premises and the environment immediately surrounding the buildings. This book looks at how buildings should be assessed for security measures. It then looks at the design of external and communal areas, how lighting can improve security and then covers methods of making doors and windows secure. It describes various methods of electronic security and concludes with a chapter on how to plan and implement suitable security measures.