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SECURITY ZONE ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
We developed an objective set of assessment criteria to differentiate methods and classify security zones based on their levels of restriction.
| LEVEL OF RESTRICTION | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| None | Moderate | High | |
| Access | No physical impediments to access | No entrances blocked but some temporary physical impediments to access | Permanent physical impediments to access or entrances blocked |
| Surveillance | No security personnel present | One security guard present | Several security personnel present |
| Behavior | Behavior unrestricted | Behavior limited by either physical or legal restrictions | Behavior limited by both physical and legal restrictions |
Security zones are given an overall classification based on combinations of scores from the three assessment criteria.
- * Open: 'None' on all three criteria
- * Limited: 'Moderate' on all three criteria, or combination of multi-category scores
- * Closed: 'High' on all three criteria
The security zone assessment criteria table served as the foundation for the design of the database and the data collection process undertaken in Los Angeles and San Francisco.1
The maps of the security zones in the three cities provide an indication of the extent to which security zones are infringing on urban public space.