Structuring operational judgment in CPTED: a lifecycle governance framework for sustainable urban safety

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) has been widely adopted to improve safety in the built environment, yet preventive effectiveness often weakens after installation. This study examines these limitations from a lifecycle governance perspective, arguing that CPTED sustainability depends not only on environmental design but also on how operational judgment is structured across time. Building on recent lifecycle- and process-oriented CPTED research, the study develops a conceptual framework identifying judgment points, judgment criteria, and judgment structures across planning, design, installation, operation, maintenance, and termination stages. The study further introduces the concept of the judgment gap to explain how preventive effectiveness may deteriorate when operational governance remains weakly structured after implementation. By reframing CPTED as a governance-oriented operational system involving continuous reassessment, accountability, feedback, and adaptation, the study provides an analytical foundation for future governance-oriented CPTED research and practice.