A Matter of Space, Time, and Dime: Assessing Gentrification as a Longitudinal, Multifaceted Predictor of Crime

• In Event: Crime in Metropolitan America: Patterns and Trends across the Dynamic Southern California Landscape

Abstract

Prior research on gentrification draws upon a variety of measures – including home values, education, race, and income – to evaluate the relationship between gentrification and crime. Moreover, several recent studies explore this relationship as a longitudinal, evolving process rather than a fixed characteristic of certain neighborhoods. The current study builds upon the findings of earlier work in several key ways: first, by addressing gentrification as a multifaceted construct that differentially affects crime in specific neighborhoods over a period of time. Second, we explore the spatial relationship between ongoing gentrification in a particular focal neighborhood and subsequent crime prevalence in neighboring areas. Finally, we investigate the role of retail revitalization as a contributing factor in the gentrification process.

Authors

• Nicholas Branic, University of California, Irvine

• John R. Hipp, University of California, Irvine