Urban Crime Mapping: A Review

Abstract

The imperfection of man is the banes of all criminal activities worldwide. More so, global urbanization and technological advancement seem to catalyze the frequency and complexity of criminal activities generally. Crime in its entire ramification is a critical issue that has gained significant attention in most countries of the world Nigeria inclusive. In view of the alarming rate of crime globally and the GIS utilities, this paper therefore carried out a review of the principles and theories of crime mapping, types of crime mapping and the nexus between poverty and urban crime. The paper further examined the relationship between urban design and spatial dimension of urban crime, and the implication for Urban and Regional Planning professional education as one of the key players in environmental management. It is therefore recommended that the teachings of Urban and Regional Planning in educational institutes should include the key theories within environmental criminology. While national and international conferences and workshops around urban and regional planning should presently revolve around settlement safety and urban governance.