A Warning Against the Easy Application of Broken Windows Theory: Careful Considerations from Sociology and Criminology and Their Impact on Urban Policy (Part 2)

Promoting Gentrification

Furthermore, there is a concern that a simplified interpretation of this theory is being used as a logic that indirectly promotes gentrification, a significant issue in modern cities.
By reducing the theory to the interpretation that 'improving aesthetics leads to the restoration of public safety,' we see cases where developer-led redevelopment—that is, gentrification—is justified as 'practicing Broken Windows Theory.' The act of renovating old buildings and attracting high-income residents is treated as the act of 'fixing broken windows.'

Social Capital Should Be Built by the Local Community Itself

However, if Broken Windows Theory has any aspect that contributes to local order, the source of that effect must lie in an internal process where members of the local community themselves voluntarily participate in maintaining and improving their environment based on a sense of responsibility and attachment to their town. This is the aspect where social capital, such as mutual monitoring and cooperation among residents, fosters norms that do not tolerate disorder, which in turn leads to crime deterrence.

Unfortunately, 'landscape manipulation' carried out by external capital or developers based on economic motives does not necessarily foster this internal community strength. Rather, it may act to sever existing resident and community ties and exclude the economically vulnerable from the new space. Such externally led interventions cannot be said to invoke the 'inclusive order maintenance' that the theory might originally possess; instead, they may lead to strengthening the logic of exclusion.

Caution Against Becoming a Logic of Exclusion

In conclusion, while Broken Windows Theory has shed a strong light on urban security measures, its scientific basis and policy effects require careful evaluation. Rather than ending with mere crackdowns on minor disorder or superficial aesthetic manipulation, a more multifaceted and comprehensive approach that fosters local social capital and addresses fundamental issues such as poverty and inequality will be the key to building a sustainable and truly safe community. We must view this theory as a starting point for reflecting on past experiences and continue to carefully examine its policy implications.

Even recently, in lectures and talks on social welfare, some speakers seem to present 'Broken Windows Theory' as a basis when discussing the importance of social capital and social ties. The audience in such settings is not necessarily well-versed in urban planning or urban sociology, and there is a danger that they may be strangely persuaded by 'Broken Windows Theory' and internalize a logic of exclusion.
Therefore, speakers should conduct proper research before mentioning matters outside their area of expertise.