kth.sePublications
Change search
Link to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Ceccato, Vania, ProfessorORCID iD iconorcid.org/0000-0001-5302-1698
Alternative names
Biography [eng]

Vania Ceccato is a Professor at the Department of Urban Planning and EnvironmentSchool of Architecture and the Built Environment, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden. She coordinates the national network Safeplaces (Säkraplatser) funded by The Swedish National Crime Prevention Council (BRÅ).

Ceccato's research is on the situational conditions of crime and crime prevention in urban and rural environments. She is interested in the relationship between the built environment and crime and perceived safety, in particular, the space-time dynamics of crime and people’s routine activity. Gendered safety and the intersectionality of victimisation are essential components in her research. Main research areas are transit safety, crime geography, housing and community safety, rural crime, retail crime. She has published in international journals, mostly in Criminology, Geography and Urban Planning and is the author of Rural crime and community safety (2016, Routledge), Moving Safely, Crime and perceived safety in Stockholm's subways stations (2013), the editor of The urban fabric of crime and fear (2012) and co-editor of Safety and Security in Transit Environments: An Interdisciplinary Approach (2015, Palgrave) with Andrew Newton and co-editor of Retail crime: International Envidence and Prevention (2018, Palgrave) with Rachel Armitage.

Biography [swe]

Vania Ceccato studerar förhållandet mellan den byggda och sociala miljön och människors säkerhet och trygghet. En inriktning i forskningen handlar om hur stads miljöer kan utformas för att förebygga brott och öka tryggheten i samhället. Det kan till exempel handla om arkitektur och byggande av bostadsområden, men också om mindre förändringar på en otrygg eller brottsdrabbad plats. Forskningen handlar även om säkerhet som ett folkhälsoproblem, i synnerhet kopplingen av kvalitén på den byggda miljön till risker för till exempel fall bland äldre eller självmord. Vania Ceccato undersöker också brott och rädsla utifrån en interaktion av kön, ålder, fysisk och psykologisk förmåga, socioekonomisk status eller andra individuella egenskaper. Hon menar att en persons rätt till säkra offentliga platser är starkt beroende av samhällets normer och strukturer som antingen främjar eller begränsar friheten att röra sig utan hinder eller rädsla.

Publications (10 of 277) Show all publications
Aransiola, T. J., Justus, M. & Ceccato, V. (2025). 4 ECONOMIC GROWTH, INCOME INEQUALITY, AND LETHAL VIOLENCE IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES. EconomiA, 26(1), 127-146
Open this publication in new window or tab >>4 ECONOMIC GROWTH, INCOME INEQUALITY, AND LETHAL VIOLENCE IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
2025 (English)In: EconomiA, ISSN 1517-7580, Vol. 26, no 1, p. 127-146Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Purpose – The paper aims to investigate the effect of GDP growth on crime and to test the hypothesis ofnonlinearity. Additionally, we estimate the interaction between GDP and income inequality and examine itsimpact on the relationship between GDP and homicide rates.Design/methodology/approach – The study utilizes panel data from the Organization for EconomicCooperation and Development (OECD), spanning the period from 2000 to 2018 and estimates dynamic panelGMM models.Findings – We found a nonlinear relationship between GDP and homicide rates, indicating a dual effect ofGDP on the occurrence of lethal crimes. Moreover, income inequality conditions the effect of GDP onhomicide rates, exerting a significant influence. We conclude that in contexts characterized by high levelsof income inequality, GDP growth is more effective in reducing crime, as there is greater potential forimprovement.Originality/value – This paper contributes to the existing literature by providing insights into the complexnonlinearity between economic conditions, income inequality and homicide rates.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Emerald, 2025
National Category
Social and Economic Geography
Research subject
Planning and Decision Analysis, Urban and Regional Studies; Planning and Decision Analysis, Risk and Safety
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-353847 (URN)10.1108/ECON-10-2023-0163 (DOI)2-s2.0-85205033633 (Scopus ID)
Note

QC 20240925

Available from: 2024-09-24 Created: 2024-09-24 Last updated: 2025-05-02Bibliographically approved
Ceccato, V. & Adams, A. (2025). Assessing women’s transit safety in two rural contexts: The cases of India and Sweden (1ed.). In: Vania Ceccato; Alistair Harkness (Ed.), Crime, Peoples and Places: Perspectives on Rural Safety and Justice (pp. 307-321). Informa UK Limited
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Assessing women’s transit safety in two rural contexts: The cases of India and Sweden
2025 (English)In: Crime, Peoples and Places: Perspectives on Rural Safety and Justice / [ed] Vania Ceccato; Alistair Harkness, Informa UK Limited , 2025, 1, p. 307-321Chapter in book (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

This chapter reports the results of two independent and non-identical surveys: one in Sweden and the other in India. They show unique evidence of women’s transit safety in rural contexts. While safety concerns can differ based on the particular location and its distinct features, the real-life experiences of women documented here offer fresh perspectives on their victimisation patterns and safety perceptions in rural areas. These insights can contribute to international scholarship aimed at enhancing understanding of women’s safety in these two distinct contexts.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Informa UK Limited, 2025 Edition: 1
Keywords
gender, safety, crime, mobility, rural areas
National Category
Criminology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-363018 (URN)10.4324/9781003395522-30 (DOI)2-s2.0-105005055074 (Scopus ID)
Note

Part of ISBN 9781032497983, 9781003395522

QC 20250506

Available from: 2025-05-01 Created: 2025-05-01 Last updated: 2025-06-02Bibliographically approved
Clemente, F., Silva, B., Ceccato, V. & Lírio, V. (2025). Crime and safety in rural Brazil (1ed.). In: Vania Ceccato; Alistair Harkness (Ed.), Crime, peoples and places: Perspectives on rural safety and justice (pp. 65-75). Informa UK Limited
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Crime and safety in rural Brazil
2025 (English)In: Crime, peoples and places: Perspectives on rural safety and justice / [ed] Vania Ceccato; Alistair Harkness, Informa UK Limited , 2025, 1, p. 65-75Chapter in book (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

This chapter reports on findings of two small sample surveys covering aspects of crime, safety and crime prevention practices in rural areas in Brazil. The first survey targeted the entire population of a small rural municipality in Minas Gerais state while the second one is a convenience sample of farmers across the country. The chapter provides a glimpse of the most pressing safety issues and calls for further research to unravel the safety challenges faced by those living in rural areas in one of the largest countries in South America.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Informa UK Limited, 2025 Edition: 1
National Category
Criminology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-363014 (URN)10.4324/9781003395522-8 (DOI)2-s2.0-105005041396 (Scopus ID)
Note

Part of ISBN 9781032497983, 9781003395522

QC 20250505

Available from: 2025-05-01 Created: 2025-05-01 Last updated: 2025-06-02Bibliographically approved
Ceccato, V. (2025). Crime and safety in rural Sweden (1ed.). In: Vania Ceccato; Alistair Harkness (Ed.), Crime, peoples and places: Perspectives on rural safety and justice (pp. 208-217). Routledge
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Crime and safety in rural Sweden
2025 (English)In: Crime, peoples and places: Perspectives on rural safety and justice / [ed] Vania Ceccato; Alistair Harkness, Routledge, 2025, 1, p. 208-217Chapter in book (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

Using answers from two victimisation surveys, this chapter reports farmers’ experiences of victimisation and fear of crime in Sweden. Farmers can be exposed to various forms of crimes, some typically rural, from thefts (of machinery and fertilisers) and vandalism to threats and violence because of the activities they perform. Crime prevention practices as well as their confidence in the police are also discussed in the Swedish rural context. Based on responses from another survey, the chapter focuses on animal farmers (which are enterprises holding different types of animals for the production of food and derivates such as fur, skin, and medical products) directed to commercialisation. This group of farmers is of particular importance because they have become a target of harassment, assault and other types of crimes linked to animal rights activism. The chapter closes by making recommendations for both research and practice in the field of rural criminology.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Routledge, 2025 Edition: 1
National Category
Criminology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-363015 (URN)10.4324/9781003395522-22 (DOI)2-s2.0-105005042275 (Scopus ID)
Note

Part of ISBN 9781032497983, 9781003395522

QC 20250505

Available from: 2025-05-01 Created: 2025-05-01 Last updated: 2025-06-02Bibliographically approved
Abraham, J., Kang, Y., Ceccato, V., Näsman, P., Duarte, F., Gao, S., . . . Ratti, C. (2025). Crime and Visually Perceived Safety of the Built Environment: A Deep Learning Approach. Annals of the American Association of Geographers, 1-21
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Crime and Visually Perceived Safety of the Built Environment: A Deep Learning Approach
Show others...
2025 (English)In: Annals of the American Association of Geographers, ISSN 2469-4452, E-ISSN 2469-4460, p. 1-21Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Although the influence of the built environment on both crime and people’s safety perceptions is well documented in the international literature, less evidence is found regarding the link between urban safety perceptions and crime occurrence. In this article, we investigate the potential relationship between crime and visual perceived safety (VPS), using Stockholm, Sweden as a case. Central to the study is the VPS score, a detailed measure of VPS and situational fear, created by combining a deep learning model with a data set of local street view images and citizen impressions. We examine this measure together with traditional crime records to compare the city’s distribution of safety and crime. First, geographical patterns and spatial clusters of high and low levels of crime and VPS were detected. Then, drawing from principles of environmental criminology, a spatial regression was used to examine the relationship between the VPS score and crime, controlling for sociodemographics and land-use factors. Findings show that crime rates of different types are significant predictors of poor VPS, but mismatching geographies of perceived safety and crime are common. The article discusses the findings and finishes by highlighting the impact of these results for research and practice.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Informa UK Limited, 2025
National Category
Criminology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-364194 (URN)10.1080/24694452.2025.2501998 (DOI)001497335300001 ()2-s2.0-105006974047 (Scopus ID)
Note

QC 20250609

Available from: 2025-06-05 Created: 2025-06-05 Last updated: 2025-06-09Bibliographically approved
Ceccato, V. & Harkness, A. (Eds.). (2025). Crime, Peoples and Places: Perspectives on Rural Safety and Justice (1ed.). Informa UK Limited
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Crime, Peoples and Places: Perspectives on Rural Safety and Justice
2025 (English)Collection (editor) (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

Building on previous work in rural criminology, this book casts a global and comparative look across 19 countries, drawing on themes of crime and victimisation, safety and fear, practices of policing and police trust, and crime prevention practices.

Combining reports on survey findings, country case studies, and crosscutting analyses, Crime, Peoples and Places offers empirical, theoretical, and policy-oriented contributions to the field of rural criminology, adopting the notion of a rural-urban continuum that captures the nuances of places of varied nature, spanning from remote and desolate spaces to accessible and connected environments of the urban fringe. The book examines the challenges of areas on the rural-urban continuum that are in constant transformation, given local and global influences, including the most recent developments in countries of the Global South. It identifies commonalities and disparities between different country cases, draws conclusions over global evidence, and highlights how partnerships, collaboration, and unity in crime prevention action can yield dividends for all people, regardless of age, gender, or whether they live in urban or rural areas.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Informa UK Limited, 2025. p. 420 Edition: 1
National Category
Criminology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-363176 (URN)10.4324/9781003395522 (DOI)2-s2.0-105005036057 (Scopus ID)9781032497983 (ISBN)9781003395522 (ISBN)
Note

QC 20250507

Available from: 2025-05-07 Created: 2025-05-07 Last updated: 2025-06-02Bibliographically approved
Harkness, A. & Ceccato, V. (2025). Future directions for rural crime research, policy and practice (1ed.). In: Vania Ceccato; Alistair Harkness (Ed.), Crime, Peoples and Places: Perspectives on Rural Safety and Justice (pp. 355-381). Informa UK Limited
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Future directions for rural crime research, policy and practice
2025 (English)In: Crime, Peoples and Places: Perspectives on Rural Safety and Justice / [ed] Vania Ceccato; Alistair Harkness, Informa UK Limited , 2025, 1, p. 355-381Chapter in book (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

This chapter maps the key issues identified in the 19 country studies outlined in earlier chapters and synthesise recommendations for both additional research and for policy and practice. A central aim of chapters in this volume has been two-fold: first, to produce empirical data on rural and farm crime internationally; and second, to improve conceptual and analytical frameworks to assess crime in rural settings – crime which is regularly stereotyped. Offered in this chapter is a road map for scholars seeking to expand on the research contained in this volume, and for practitioners keen to respond to crime and improve safety in rural areas. This chapter is structured around common issues, proposals for future research and recommendations for new policy and practice as well as reform.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Informa UK Limited, 2025 Edition: 1
National Category
Criminology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-363021 (URN)10.4324/9781003395522-34 (DOI)2-s2.0-105005035461 (Scopus ID)
Note

Part of ISBN 9781032497983, 9781003395522

QC 20250506

Available from: 2025-05-01 Created: 2025-05-01 Last updated: 2025-06-02Bibliographically approved
Ceccato, V., Ioannidis, I. & Felson, M. (2025). Graffiti in pedestrian tunnels: A comparison of police records and crowdsourced data in Stockholm, Sweden. Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology, 159, Article ID 106482.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Graffiti in pedestrian tunnels: A comparison of police records and crowdsourced data in Stockholm, Sweden
2025 (English)In: Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology, ISSN 0886-7798, E-ISSN 1878-4364, Vol. 159, article id 106482Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Using 1281 pedestrian tunnels scattered over Stockholm, Sweden’s capital, we investigate the nature and distribution of graffiti in three types of underpasses (pathways, cycleways, and stairways). Combining crowdsourced data and police records, we compare graffiti levels and geography using fieldwork inspections, regression models, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The findings indicate that graffiti recorded to the police is present in only a quarter of the pedestrian tunnels, suggesting that recorded practices are concentrated in specific underpasses. Graffiti is more commonly found in larger tunnels, particularly cycling underpasses. Proximity to metro stations, schools, and the presence of young males in the area are factors linked to graffiti occurrence, although not consistently. These results highlight the complexities of relying on graffiti records for public space management, particularly the challenges professionals face in aligning the maintenance of pedestrian tunnels with urban sustainability goals.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier BV, 2025
Keywords
Artwork, Graffiti, Crowdsourced data, Police records, Sustainability, Underpasses, Subsurface spaces
National Category
Other Social Sciences not elsewhere specified
Research subject
Planning and Decision Analysis, Risk and Safety
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-360725 (URN)10.1016/j.tust.2025.106482 (DOI)001435892500001 ()2-s2.0-85218466081 (Scopus ID)
Note

QC 20250317

Available from: 2025-03-02 Created: 2025-03-02 Last updated: 2025-03-17Bibliographically approved
Ceccato, V. & Harkness, A. (2025). Preface. In: Crime, Peoples and Places: Perspectives on Rural Safety and Justice. Taylor and Francis
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Preface
2025 (English)In: Crime, Peoples and Places: Perspectives on Rural Safety and Justice, Taylor and Francis , 2025Chapter in book (Other academic)
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Taylor and Francis, 2025
National Category
Criminology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-363990 (URN)2-s2.0-105005047138 (Scopus ID)
Note

Part of ISBN 9781040254271, 9781032497983

QC 20250602

Available from: 2025-06-02 Created: 2025-06-02 Last updated: 2025-06-02Bibliographically approved
Ceccato, V. & Bogacka, E. (2025). Queering the Rural: Tales from Poland and Sweden (1ed.). In: Vania Ceccato; Alistair Harkness (Ed.), Crime, Peoples and Places: Perspectives on Rural Safety and Justice (pp. 322-337). Informa UK Limited
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Queering the Rural: Tales from Poland and Sweden
2025 (English)In: Crime, Peoples and Places: Perspectives on Rural Safety and Justice / [ed] Vania Ceccato; Alistair Harkness, Informa UK Limited , 2025, 1, p. 322-337Chapter in book (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

This chapter reports on the conditions of victimisation among LGBTQI+ people with a focus on those living in rural areas of Poland and Sweden. The first section of this chapter consists of a brief literature overview of the factors that affect safety in rural areas and explains why safety among LGBTQI+ people is an important topic. Also discussed are LGBTQI+ people’s perceptions about changes in attitude towards queer people in rural and urban areas. This is followed by a discussion of the sources used in this chapter along with findings and conclusions.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Informa UK Limited, 2025 Edition: 1
National Category
Gender Studies Criminology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-363020 (URN)10.4324/9781003395522-31 (DOI)2-s2.0-105005050580 (Scopus ID)
Note

Part of ISBN 9781032497983, 9781003395522

QC 20250506

Available from: 2025-05-01 Created: 2025-05-01 Last updated: 2025-06-02Bibliographically approved
Organisations
Identifiers
ORCID iD: ORCID iD iconorcid.org/0000-0001-5302-1698

Search in DiVA

Show all publications