Stoneleigh Fellow Vincent Reina discusses the role of city beautification efforts in reducing crime and improving quality of life for communities.
Amid citywide efforts to counteract crumbling infrastructure, professors and researchers associated with Penn’s Urban Planning and Criminology Departments spoke to The Daily Pennsylvanian about how improving urban design can decrease crime.
Philadelphia’s violent crime rates dropped to record low levels in recent years, coinciding with nationwide trends. As city officials look for new ways to curb violence, Penn’s Crime and Justice Policy lab has studied how block beautification — including community gardens, public art, and the restoration of abandoned buildings — can play a role.
“It changes the feeling of a block in important ways,” city and regional planning professor Vincent Reina — who serves as the faculty director of the Housing Initiative at Penn — said in an interview with the DP.
