Parks and Crime: A Mixed-Methods Study of Neighborhood Park Features in Baltimore

• In Event: Communities and Place: Population, Parks, and Murals

Abstract

Extant research has considered the role of neighborhood parks as both crime attractors or repellents, but little research has been aimed at understanding this variation. This study uses a mixed-methods approach to explore how features of neighborhood parks in Baltimore City could foster or discourage criminal activity. We draw on administrative crime data as well as data on park features such as playgrounds, basketball courts, and walking paths. We also draw on qualitative data from field visits to a subset of parks and interviews with community members. Our study highlights the complexity of parks and the need to drill down into these greenspaces to understand how or why they may provide relatively safe vs. unsafe environments.

Authors

• Casey Kindall, University of Maryland

• Lauren Porter, University of Maryland

• Chester Harvey, University of Maryland

• Bianca Bersani, University of Maryland

• Elaine Doherty, University of Maryland, School of Public Health