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http://dx.doi.org/10.9715/KILA.2019.47.1.049

Correlation between Urban Green Areas and Outdoor Crime Rates - A Case Study of Austin, Texas -  

Kim, Young-Jae (Dept. of Forest Resources and Landscape Architecture, Yeungnam University)
Publication Information
Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture / v.47, no.1, 2019 , pp. 49-56 More about this Journal
Abstract
Urban green spaces have been contributing to the improvement of environmental, mental, and physical health for humans. In addition, recent studies showed the potential role of vegetation in reducing the amount of crime in inner-city neighborhoods at the micro-scale level. However, little is known about the positive role of urban green areas in improving urban safety at the regional level. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between urban green areas and actual outdoor crime rates, while also considering socio-demographic factors. The study area is the city of Austin, Texas, USA, which consists of 506 block groups. This study utilized socio-demographic factors based on U.S. Census data and vegetation-related factors utilizing GIS and ENVI software. For analyses, the analysis of variance (ANOVA) and an ordinary least square (OLS) regression were utilized. The results from ANOVA showed that yearly crime rates per acre for areas having 0%~25% trees in their neighborhoods were 0.46% and 1.05% higher than those of having 25%~50% and >50% trees in the neighborhoods, respectively. The results from the OLS regression represented that income, NDVI and park rates in neighborhoods were negatively associated with the crime rate per acre, whereas the percentage of minorities and the percentage of teenage school dropouts were positively associated with the crime rate per acre. This study implies that urban green areas may help to improve the safety of urban areas.
Keywords
Neighborhood Environment; Urban Trees; Safety;
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