Using a Geographic Information System to evaluate the effects of urban greening on crime /

In 1995, there were a total of 13.9 million crimes raphics.

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Snelgrove, Amy Grones
Format: Thesis Book
Language:English
Published: [Place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified] ; 1998.
Subjects:
Description
Summary:In 1995, there were a total of 13.9 million crimes raphics.
reported to law enforcement agencies in the United
States. This staggering number reveals the necessity
for research pertaining to crime in Urban America.
Many studies have also revealed the positive effect
natural environments play on the physiological and
psychological well-being of humans. The results of
these studies brought about an onset of studies
looking at whether the positive effects of natural
environments would affect a person's tendency to
perform a criminal act. Localized studies began to
reveal that when people were exposed to natural
environments, they gained a value of self-worth that
would lower their tendencies to perform criminal ants
as well as to try and prevent others from doing the
same. This study investigated whether the results from
localized studies could be applied to urban areas as a
whole. The objectives included investigating whether a
statistical relationship existed between the severity
of crimes and the amount of green surrounding the
crime scene, as well as the number of comes and the
amount of green in which they occur. This would be
achieved by developing a new methodology for
investigating this issue. This research used a
Geographic Information System to develop this new
methodology for investigating crime and urban
greening. Data pertaining to crime, income levels,
greenness levels. and city data, etc. were collected
to assist in answering the above objectives. Once the
data was incorporated into the GIS. the data was
analyzed using a correlation test and Principal
Component Analysis. A significant correlation existed
between the number of crimes and the amount of green
in which they occurred. As greenness increased in the
urban area of Austin, the number of crimes decreased.
There was no correlation found between the amount of
green surrounding a crime scene and the severity of
the crime or the income level where the crime
occurred.
Item Description:Vita.
"Major subject: Forestry".
Physical Description:xiii, 69 leaves : illustrations, maps ; 28 cm.
Bibliography:Includes bibliographical references (leaves 61-67).