The Complex Role of Parks: The Paradox of Park Quality, Social Organization, Safety and Crime

• In Event: Types of Places: Schools, Parks and Unique Hot Spots

Abstract

Parks provide a potential place where residents of the area can go to form stronger bonds with each other; park usage may increase residents’ sense of community and social cohesion. Based on social disorganization theory, parks then should decrease crime, but instead, they’ve been previously shown to be crime generators. The current study seeks to clarify the relationship among parks, social organization, and both crime and perceived safety. Using survey data from Gainesville, Florida, I find that perceived quality of parks and recreation significantly increases one’s perceptions of safety in the neighborhood, both directly and indirectly through social organization. Perceived quality of parks and recreation, however, are associated with an increase in reported crime when controlling for social organization. Thus, the quality of parks and recreation may have a positive effect on residents’ everyday lives while still acting as a crime generator.

Author

• Brianna Camero, George Mason University