Journal of Applied Security Research

Advances in Applied Research and Practice Using Risk Terrain Modeling

Risk Terrain Modeling (RTM) as an analytic method has been utilized in various fields to improve the examination of data through a spatial lens. What sets Risk Terrain Modeling apart from other spatial analyses is its unique ability to examine the built environment and provide estimates on the spatial and temporal risk for an outcome of interest. As geocoded data is growing in popularity, old and new questions can be asked about police, crime, health, disease, urban design, and so on, with more precision and nuance. This special issue of the Journal of Applied Security Research will solicit papers that explore research questions with a unique spatial component that can be addressed or strengthened with Risk Terrain Modeling. Additionally, this special issue will benefit from the interdisciplinary contributions of research from different fields of study (public health, public administration, environmental science, economics, urban planning, criminal justice, etc.). Themes may include (but are not limited to):

·         Identifying high-risk locations for violent crime or property crime

·         Evaluating social determinants of health through spatial risk

·         Identifying areas vulnerable to traffic accidents or pedestrian injuries

·         Identifying geographic areas at higher risk of wildfires or pollution

·         Optimizing the allocation of government resources based on environmental risk indicators

·         Issues with spatial dependence, scale effects, limited observations, boundary problems, or data quality

·         Utilizing RTM to provide additional context to other methods (spatial and nonspatial)

·         Temporal/seasonal changes of spatial risk

*Authors are encouraged to critically engage with the statistical or methodological challenges inherent in their selected methods, as well as those specific to Risk Terrain Modeling.