Vacant lot to community garden conversion and crime in Milwaukee: a difference-in-differences analysis

Abstract

BackgroundVacant lots generate the perception of neglect and are often opportunistic locations for crime. Evidence is building to suggest that greening vacant lots, especially through community engaged approaches, is associated with reductions in some types of crime.MethodsUsing a retrospective quasi-experimental approach, we compared the conversion of vacant lots into community gardens (n=53) with a group of matched control lots (n=159) to examine the effect of this intervention on police reported theft, violent and nuisance crime in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Conversions often involved the addition of planter boxes to create a garden, and sometimes included benches, paths, works of art or other landscaping features. Public crime data were used to generate crime rates within 100 m and 250 m around each lot.ResultsViolent and nuisance crime rates are lower near treatment lots based on an unadjusted difference-in-differences analysis of means and two Poisson regression models. While no substantial effects were observed among theft crimes, the most consistent crime rate reductions were found among violent crime within 250 m, ranging between 3.7% and 6.4% across analyses.ConclusionsDespite the small number of interventions, community-driven vacant lot to garden conversions were associated with slight reductions in crime. Urban greening initiatives may be a promising strategy to reduce urban crime and warrant further study.

The Relationship Between City “Greenness” and Homicide in the US: Evidence Over a 30-Year Period

“…Greenspace quality, in this instance, refers to the level of greenness or diversity of vegetation, the maintenance of greenspace structures and amenities, as well as the inclusion of safety features such as lighting (Sadler et al, 2017). Experimental research has shown that improvements in the quality of these greenspaces, in fact, lowers crime (Beam et al, 2021). As Kimpton et al (2017, p. 304) note: ".…”

“…It then involves the development of physical designs that reduce the opportunity for crime to occur. While various localized 'greening' CPTED initiatives have been undertaken in the United States with reasonable success (see Beam et al, 2021;Branas et al, 2011;Kondo et al, 2016), there is a need for increased uptake of these initiatives nationally and, at least initially, in cities of greatest concern. Failure to do so may result in small, but impactful increases in violent crime for decades to come.…”

Neighborhoods and Cardiovascular Health: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association

“…Efforts to improve conditions in disinvested, segregated neighborhoods to protect longterm residents from being displaced include the New Markets Tax Credit and the Healthy Food Financing Initiative. 76 In addition, turning vacant lots into community gardens or remediating abandoned houses may improve social cohesion and increase safety, [77][78][79] both of which are associated with CVD risk.…”

Community-based participatory research on the impact of greenspace on violent crime

“…Beam et al (2020) used quasi-experimental methods to study the impact of converting vacant lots into community gardens by comparing garden lots with planter boxes, benches, and small landscaping projects with unimproved control lots. Crime data were gathered from the municipal database and compared to imagery from satellite and ground data, and municipal records (Beam et al 2020). While theft was not affected, violent crime diminished (Beam et al 2020).…”

“…Crime data were gathered from the municipal database and compared to imagery from satellite and ground data, and municipal records (Beam et al 2020). While theft was not affected, violent crime diminished (Beam et al 2020). Focusing on community gardens' growth between 2005 and 2015, Koop-Monteiro (2021) gathered data on new community gardens, income, ethnic diversity, population, homeownership, and other demographic data and found that the addition of just one garden reduced property crimes (breaking and entering and vehicular theft).…”