Vacant Properties and Violence in Neighborhoods

Branas, Charles C.; Rubin, David M.; Guo, Wensheng

doi:10.5402/2012/246142

Cited by 67 publications

(67 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…Low levels of social cohesion are indicative of social disorder and lack of collective efficacy, which are risk factors for violence (77). Physical disorder, vacant buildings, and vacant lots can influence violence (15). Mortgage foreclosures and ensuing vacancy have been associated with increased violent crimes (26,47,59).…”

Section: Neighborhood Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neighborhood Interventions to Reduce Violence

Kondo

Andreyeva

South

et al. 2024

Annual Review of Public Health

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120

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Violence is a widespread problem that affects the physical, mental, and social health of individuals and communities. Violence comes with an immense economic cost to its victims and society at large. Although violence interventions have traditionally targeted individuals, changes to the built environment in places where violence occurs show promise as practical, sustainable, and high-impact preventive measures. This review examines studies that use quasi-experimental or experimental designs to compare violence outcomes for treatment and control groups before and after a change is implemented in the built environment. The most consistent evidence exists in the realm of housing and blight remediation of buildings and land. Some evidence suggests that reducing alcohol availability, improving street connectivity, and providing green housing environments can reduce violent crimes. Finally, studies suggest that neither transit changes nor school openings affect community violence.

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Section: Neighborhood Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neighborhood Interventions to Reduce Violence

Kondo

Andreyeva

South

et al. 2024

Annual Review of Public Health

Self Cite

120

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show abstract

“…The study further supports the "eyes on the street" hypothesis in that it finds that residents around greened lots report more exercise and less stress. Not surprisingly, then, increases in the number of vacant lots have been found to be associated with greater assaultive violence (Branas, Rubin, & Guo, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The relationship between residential yard management and neighborhood crime: An analysis from Baltimore City and County

Troy

Nunery

Grove

2016

Landscape and Urban Planning

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“…9,[20][21][22][23][24][25] It is very possible that directly treating aspects of these blighted environments in inexpensive ways could produce lasting reductions in urban firearm violence. However, to our knowledge, no research has yet investigated the cost benefits, Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6021 (e-mail: cbranas@upenn.edu).…”

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confidence: 99%

Urban Blight Remediation as a Cost-Beneficial Solution to Firearm Violence

et al. 2016

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Objectives. To determine if blight remediation of abandoned buildings and vacant lots can be a cost-beneficial solution to firearm violence in US cities.Methods. We performed quasi-experimental analyses of the impacts and economic returns on investment of urban blight remediation programs involving 5112 abandoned buildings and vacant lots on the occurrence of firearm and nonfirearm violence in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from 1999 to 2013. We adjusted before-after percent changes and returns on investment in treated versus control groups for sociodemographic factors.Results. Abandoned building remediation significantly reduced firearm violence -39% (95% confidence interval [CI] = -28%, -50%; P < .05) as did vacant lot remediation (-4.6%; 95% CI = -4.2%, -5.0%; P < .001). Neither program significantly affected nonfirearm violence. Respectively, taxpayer and societal returns on investment for the prevention of firearm violence were $5 and $79 for every dollar spent on abandoned building remediation and $26 and $333 for every dollar spent on vacant lot remediation.Conclusions. Only a modicum of attention has been paid to intervening upon the context within which firearm violence occurs and the urban environments in which it thrives. It is now commonly accepted that changing the context within which health problems occur is a leading opportunity for high-impact change, often better than focusing on individuals and lifestyles. [13][14][15][16][17] This may also apply to firearm violence-individuals who are simply instructed to adhere to safety practices are unlikely to be successful if the unsafe context within which they find themselves day after day does not permit it. Directly changing the contexts and environments that promote firearm violence is a potentially potent solution to explore in reducing the persistent problem of firearm violence in the United States. Such contextual changes may take the form of actual, in-situ changes to the environments themselves, an approach that may be more politically feasible, economically viable, and have a greater probability of widespread implementation. 13,18 Cities in the United States experience a heavily disproportionate burden of the nation's interpersonal firearm violence. 19Urban shootings are concentrated in neighborhoods stricken by poverty and neglect, and a growing body of scientific evidence suggests that blighted neighborhood environments are strongly tied to firearm violence in US cities. 9,[20][21][22][23][24][25] It is very possible that directly treating aspects of these blighted environments in inexpensive ways could produce lasting reductions in urban firearm violence. However, to our knowledge, no research has yet investigated the cost benefits, Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6021 (e-mail: cbranas@upenn.edu). Reprints can be ordered at http://www.ajph.org by clicking the "Reprints" link.

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Vacant Properties and Violence in Neighborhoods

Cited by 67 publications

References 35 publications

Neighborhood Interventions to Reduce Violence

Neighborhood Interventions to Reduce Violence

The relationship between residential yard management and neighborhood crime: An analysis from Baltimore City and County

Urban Blight Remediation as a Cost-Beneficial Solution to Firearm Violence

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