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Title: Danger Zone: The Causal Effects of High-Density and Mixed-Use Development on Neighborhood Crime

Citation Type: Miscellaneous

Publication Year: 2014

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Abstract: The relationship between crime and land use is the subject of considerable debate among scholars and professional planners, but empirical study has been stymied by difficult identification and measurement issues. This examines the impact of mixed land use and residential density on crime using unique high-resolution dataset from Chicago over the period 2008-2013. I employ a novel instrumental variable strategy, using the city's 1923 zoning code as an instrument for modern land use. I also apply a spatial matching approach which allows me to identify the impact of specific commercial activities. I find that commercial uses, especially liquor stores and late-hour bars, lead to more street crime in their immediate vicinity, with relatively weak spillover effects. Higher residential density leads to lower per capita crime rates and ameliorates the criminogenic effects of commercial activity. I discuss the implications for zoning policy and policing strategy, drawing upon insights from the experimental literature on hot sports policing.

Url: http://www.pitt.edu/~tat47/Twinam_JMP_Danger_Zone.pdf

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Authors: Twinam, Tate

Publisher: University of Pittsburgh

Data Collections: IPUMS NHGIS

Topics: Crime and Deviance, Housing and Segregation, Race and Ethnicity

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