Study Sheds Light on the Effect of Streetlights on Crime
A study of the neighborhood and streets in the city of Houston finds that streetlights aren't always an effective crime deterrent.
Leah Bikovitz reports on new research [pdf] from former Kinder Institute fellow Heather O’Connell that "confirms that more streetlights don’t necessarily mean less crime" in Houston.
Among the study's findings, as shared by Binkovitz:
- "Low crime rates appear throughout the city, in both high- and low-income neighborhoods. This challenges common overgeneralizations connecting poverty and crime."
- "Crime rates are actually often higher in areas of the city with higher streetlight densities. "
The big takeaway from the study: cities and communities shouldn't expect streetlights to reduce crime, because they don't always achieve that effect.
A 2014 CityLab article by Mike Riggs provides more background on the "seemingly endless debate" about the effect of streetlights on crime.
Published on Monday, August 14, 2017 in
Topics
- Top Urban City Building Games in 2019
- The Wonderful World of Vicious Circles
- The Boring Company Gets Paid
- Planning and the Public Trust
- 2019 ParkScore Rankings Now Available
- Study: How Beauty Is a Boon for Cities
- Streets in Dense Urban Areas Safer Than Suburban 'Stroads,' Study Finds
- New Grocery Chain on the Block Offers an Alternative to the Walmarts of the World
- The Political Segregation of U.S. Cities
- Infographic: Where Vision Zero Is Making a Difference
- Volunteers Count Almost 700 Vehicles Blocking D.C. Bike Lanes in One Day
- Looking for Gentrification? Follow the Rat Complaints
- 15 Cities Receive Grant Support LEED for Cities and Communities Program
- The Federal Agency With Surprising Power to Impact Climate Change Policy
- 'Property Tax Transparency' Approved in Iowa
- The Ohio 'Clean Air' Energy Bill Cuts Out Wind and Solar Credits
- Rent Control for New York City Could Spillover Effect to the Rest of the State
- Revealed: Plans for Makeover of the World's Busiest Bus Terminal
- Are U.S. Homeless Worse Off Than India's Poor?
- From April to May in L.A.: From a Green New Deal to Transit Service Cuts
