Natural Access Control

Guides people entering and leaving a space through the placement of entrances, exits, fences, landscaping and lighting. Access control can decrease opportunities for criminal activity by denying criminals access to potential targets and creating a perception of risk for would-be offenders.

Clear boundaries should be defined between public, semi-public, and private areas. They are needed at entrances to office buildings, residential buildings, shops, parking lots and garages. Boundaries can be established by signs, walls, fences, landscaping, and pavement treatments.

Natural access control limits the opportunity for crime by taking steps to clearly differentiate between public space and private space. By selectively placing entrances and exits, fencing, lighting and landscape to limit access or control flow, natural access control occurs. Some tips for creating natural access control:

• Use a single, clearly identifiable, point of entry.  Make sure there is adequate lighting, and appropriate signs and house numbers.

• Use structures to divert persons to reception areas like walkways, planters, furniture or signs.

• Use low, thorny bushes beneath ground level windows. Use rambling or climbing thorny plants next to fences to discourage intrusion.

• Eliminate design features that provide access to roofs or upper levels.  Do not block emergency fire exits, if you need help designing and securing fire exits contact your local fire department.

• In the front yard, use waist-level, picket-type fencing along residential property lines to control access, encourage surveillance.

• Use a locking gate between front and backyards.

• Use shoulder-level, open-type fencing along lateral residential property lines between side yards and extending to between back yards. They should be sufficiently clear of landscaping to promote social interaction between neighbors.

Open ornamental metal fences are preferred in most places because they do not block visibility into the property, are less susceptible to graffiti, and are more difficult to climb.