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- Info
Environment and crime in the inner city: does vegetation reduce crime?
| Author: |
Kuo, Frances E.; Sullivan, William C. |
| Date: |
2001 |
| Periodical: |
Environment and Behavior |
| Link: |
http://web.aces.uiuc.edu/herl/docs/environment&crime.pdf
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| Abstract: |
Although vegetation has been positively linked to fear of crime and
crime in a number of settings, recent findings in urban residential areas have hinted at
a possible negative relationship: Residents living in “greener” surroundings report
lower levels of fear, fewer incivilities, and less aggressive and violent behavior. This
study used police crime reports to examine the relationship between vegetation and
crime in an inner-city neighborhood. Crime rates for 98 apartment buildings with
varying levels of nearby vegetation were compared. Results indicate that although
residents were randomly assigned to different levels of nearby vegetation, the greener
a building’s surroundings were, the fewer crimes reported. Furthermore, this pattern
held for both property crimes and violent crimes. The relationship of vegetation to
crime held after the number of apartments per building, building height, vacancy rate,
and number of occupied units per building were accounted for. |
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