how does having green spaces in cities reduce crime?
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Landscape Architecture faculty member, William Sullivan, co-authored a 2025 study covering over 3,000 U.S. counties that found that higher levels of greenness are significantly associated with lower levels of fatal police shootings. Professor Sullivan’s theories are being validated by the success of the LandCare program in Philadelphia. Studies of these greened vacant lots have shown 29% reduction in gun violence and a 21% reduction in burglary in nearby areas, 41.5% decrease in depression among local residents, and an average 13% increase in property value over six years.
Professor Sullivan argues that vacant urban land across the U.S. and low-cost greening interventions represent a massive economic and social opportunity.
“Every day, green spaces are critical to neighborhood infrastructure. We should prioritize them.”
Read the full article: Near Philadelphia’s New Green Spaces, a Dramatic Reduction in Crime.
