Do Pedestrian Tunnels and Urban Underpasses Attract Crime?

• In Event: Communities and Place: How Environments Shape Criminal Opportunities and Prevention Strategies

Abstract

In this presentation, I will share findings from three small studies that examine crime patterns in pedestrian tunnels in Stockholm, Sweden’s capital. These underpasses are often perceived as unsafe, especially by women and people with disabilities, despite limited evidence of frequent criminal activity. To explore their safety conditions, this research analyses tunnels using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), regression models, police records, crowdsourced data, and interviews with urban planners. The results show that just 2% of tunnels account for 86% of police records, predominantly related to vandalism, yet crowdsourced data suggests a more dispersed pattern. Inner-city underpasses and those near metro stations are identified as the most crime-prone, except cycleway tunnels, while violence is mainly concentrated in pedestrian tunnels near sports arenas. The presentation concludes with a discussion of the implications of these findings for criminologists and urban planners.

Authors

• Vania Ceccato, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Sweden

• Ioannis Ioannidis, UCS Urban and Community Safety Research Group, Department of Urban Planning and Environment, KTH Royal Institute of Technology

• Marcus Felson, Texas State University