Whither Park or Withering Park? Extending Research on the Parks-Crime Relationship

• In Event: Contexts of Convergence in the Study of Place and Crime

Abstract

A growing criminological literature finds that public parks serve an important, albeit mixed, role within the contemporary social landscape. Local parks can benefit neighborhoods by providing residents with positive outlets for physical activity and social engagement. Research also finds, however, that these public spaces can serve as crime generators and thus foster delinquent and criminal activities. The results from prior literature suggest that parks are associated with higher levels of crime on average but also observe that this relationship is not uniform across parks. Instead, the relationship depends largely on the particular characteristics and conditions exhibited within parks themselves, including types of amenities offered and levels of ambient guardianship. We extend this area of scholarship by examining how the subjective appearance and visual quality of parks may differentially relate to levels of neighborhood crime. Whereas poorly maintained parks may reflect disorder and contribute to higher crime levels, higher-quality parks may suggest greater community investment and dissuade potential offenders. Additionally, parks that are more attractive may draw greater numbers of visitors who then bolster local guardianship. Drawing upon primary observational data coded via Google Street View, we analyze how the subjective appearance of parks, in addition to the presence of internal amenities, relates to neighborhood-level crime in four Southern California cities.

Authors

• Nicholas Branic, University of California, Irvine

• Charis Kubrin, University of California, Irvine

• John R. Hipp, University of California, Irvine