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Encyclopedia entry

Natural Surveillance

Designing a site so legitimate users can easily see and be seen by one another.

Natural surveillance is one of the foundational CPTED principles: orienting windows, entrances, and common areas so that ordinary daily activity creates casual observation of vulnerable spots like parking lots and walkways, without requiring a dedicated watcher.

It depends heavily on maintained lighting and landscaping — a well-oriented building with overgrown hedges or dark walkways loses much of its surveillance benefit, particularly at night.

A patrol officer's rounds add active, intentional observation on top of this passive design layer, which is especially valuable during hours when casual foot traffic is low.

Related entries

CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design)A set of physical-design principles — lighting, sightlines, landscaping, access control — that reduce crime opportunity.Target HardeningPhysical measures — locks, barriers, lighting, cameras — that make a specific target harder to access or attack.Territorial ReinforcementDesign and signage cues that signal a space is owned, watched, and cared for.

Official sources

  1. [1]CPTED GuidebookDOJ COPS Office

Links point to the publishing agency or the California Legislative Information text. Government pages are reorganized periodically — if a link moves, search the code section or agency name at the official site.

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General industry and regulatory usage — not legal advice, and not an endorsement by BSIS, the Department of Consumer Affairs, or any law-enforcement agency. Statutes, regulations, and local ordinances change; verify current text at the official government source or with your attorney.

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