Journal article
Research note: Greater tree canopy cover is associated with lower rates of both violent and property crime in New Haven, CT
Landscape and urban planning, v 143
Nov 2015
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
•Tree canopy cover was inversely associated with crime in New Haven, CT.•A 10% increase in tree canopy was associated with a 15% decrease in violent crime.•A 10% increase in tree canopy was associated with a 14% decrease in property crime.•Results add to the body of evidence suggesting trees’ crime prevention potential.
Evolving literature suggests that modifiable neighborhood characteristics such as trees and other vegetation are inversely associated with crime. This study examines the relationship between vegetation and crime in New Haven, CT, a midsized city with high crime rates. Spatial lag analyses were used to test the association of tree canopy coverage, measured through high-resolution aerial imagery, with rates of violent (murder, rape, robbery and assault), property (burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft and arson) and total (violent+property) crimes. Greater tree canopy coverage was associated with lower rates of violent, property and total crime, independent of block group level educational attainment, median household income, racial/ethnic composition, population density, vacancies and renter-occupied housing, as well as spatial autocorrelation. Results support the general findings from studies conducted in larger cities, including Chicago, Portland, Baltimore and Philadelphia and points toward trees’ crime prevention potential.
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Details
- Title
- Research note: Greater tree canopy cover is associated with lower rates of both violent and property crime in New Haven, CT
- Creators
- Kathryn Gilstad-Hayden - Community Alliance for Research and Engagement Yale School of Public Health New Haven CT USALori R. Wallace - Community Alliance for Research and Engagement Yale School of Public Health New Haven CT USAAmy Carroll-Scott - Drexel School of Public Health, Department of Community Health and Prevention, Philadelphia, PA, USASpencer R. Meyer - Yale UniversitySarah Barbo - Yale UniversityColleen Murphy-Dunning - Yale UniversityJeannette R. Ickovics - Community Alliance for Research and Engagement Yale School of Public Health New Haven CT USA
- Publication Details
- Landscape and urban planning, v 143
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Urban Health Collaborative; Community Health and Prevention
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000362614900025
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-84940383559
- Other Identifier
- 991019168915304721
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InCites Highlights
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Ecology
- Environmental Studies
- Geography
- Geography, Physical
- Regional & Urban Planning
- Urban Studies