Urban growth boundaries: urban crime reduction or urban myth? | IUP Islandora

Urban growth boundaries: urban crime reduction or urban myth? (2012). Urban growth boundaries: urban crime reduction or urban myth?

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Title	Urban growth boundaries: urban crime reduction or urban myth?
Abstract	There has been much research written on the negative aspects associated with sprawl, such as crime, the flight of people and businesses to the suburbs, and resulting inner-city decay. However, there is a dearth of information on the effects of limiting sprawl and crime. The objective of this research was to examine the impact of an urban growth boundary (UGB) that limits uncontrolled sprawl on crime rates in Portland, Oregon. UCR data from 1975-1997 was utilized to measure the impact. Crime impacts were analyzed with time-series analysis for property crime, violent crime, and overall crime indexes. Vancouver, Washington crime data was used as a comparison group. Other smaller cities within the UGB in the Portland area also were analyzed. The results show significant increases in violent, property, and the overall crime rates in Portland. There also were significant increases in crime rates in the comparison city of Vancouver. The smaller cities showed a significant decrease in violent crimes after the implementation of the urban growth boundary, with property crimes increasing slightly. This legal impact study does provide results that can be interpreted through both ecological theories and routine activities theory. It would appear that the benefits of the urban growth boundary may be felt in the Oregon cities surrounding Portland.
Date	2012

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Title: Urban growth boundaries: urban crime reduction or urban myth?
Personal Name(s): Bowers, James Henry
Lewis, John A.
Corporate Name(s): Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Criminology.
Note: Publisher info.: Dissertation/Thesis.
Advisors: Lewis, John A. Committee members: Willard Austin; Richard Hoch; Jennifer Roberts.
Topical Subject(s): Criminology
Urban areas