Vandalism in a South African township : an exploratory study of criminal damage to the built environment in Manenberg, Western Cape
The overall objective of this study is to identify the spatial distribution of vandalism and the causes of vandalism variance within a specific geographical area. The study concentrates on the impact of the built environment, particularly the design of the built environment as a motive for vandalism and has sought to identify the design elements of the built environment which encourage vandalism. The investigation for this study is limited to Manenberg, a residential township in the Western Cape. The methodology adopted for the study involves the collecting and interpretation of official police statistics of vandalism over a seven-year period. The statistical data is combined with the 1996 population census for the area. A GIS program is adopted in order to graphically represent the data. The statistical data is examined and presented in three focus areas: the frequency of vandalism, the nature of vandalism and the area and target of vandalism. Following the initial presentation, the data is compared to factors of the built environment specifically the design of the built environment. The study then presents the association between the design of the built environment and vandalism levels.
Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
Department of Construction Economics and Management