City streets need only few things to make them safe, according to the famous urbanist Jane Jacobs. She says safe streets need people walking around, places for them to go, things for them to do and other people for them to interact with. Simple as that. But Jane forgot one more thing: a sock full of quarters.
Crime
In Light of Violence, Student Subway Passes Reconsidered
Subway violence and crime in Philadelphia have been unofficially traced to truant students, who are enabled by unlimited rides on the SEPTA throughout the week. Whether or not the student TransPass system should be eliminated is being debated.
Philadelphia Daily News
Experiments Validate Broken Windows Theory
The controversial theory that social and physical disorder is a cause of neighborhood crime has been successfully demonstrated with a series of six experiments.
The Economist
Candidates Take Stance on Urban Issues
City Limits breaks down the differences between the two presidential candidates with a focus on urban issues.
City Limits
'Death Wish' and the Life of Great American Cities
Thu, 10/23/2008 - 07:53
Former London Mayor to Advise Caracas
In an agreement with fellow socialist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, former London Mayor Ken Livingstone has accepted a position in Caracas to advise the city on improving its transportation and crime issues.
The Guardian
Crime and urban design: Oscar Newman 36 years later
Wed, 08/13/2008 - 20:18
I recently read Oscar Newman’s 1970s book on crime prevention, “Defensible Space.” In this book, Newman addressed the question of why some public housing projects are insanely dangerous, and others only moderately so. Although Newman’s analysis is mostly confined to low-income housing, commentators of all stripes have relied on his work: new urbanist commentator Laurence Aurbach asserts that Newman’s work supports new urbanists’ emphasis on heavily trafficked, walkable streets (1) while Randall O’Toole considers Newman to be a defender of single-use, cul-de-sac sprawl (2).
Crime, Rising Costs Draw Concerns for World Cup Host
With the first game of the 2010 World Cup exactly two years away, many in host country South Africa are concerned about rising inflation, increased violence, and skyrocketing costs of stadium construction.
ESPN
Police Take Control of D.C. Neighborhood
Washington, D.C. police decide to stop everyone entering a neighborhood that has seen 22 killings so far this year, including a recent triple homicide.
The Washington Post
Crime Cameras Move Crime, Not Deter It
In San Francisco, "crime cameras" intended to ward of crime and record any illegal activity that occurs have been shown by a recent report to do little to prevent crimes from taking place.
The San Francisco Chronicle
Is Planning to Blame for Violence?
After a recent shooting death in Toronto, one writer lays the blame for urban violence on city planners.
The National Post
Canada's Top Crime Cities
With their high concentrations of marginalized Aboriginal residents, the Canadian prairie cities of Saskatoon, Regina and Winnipeg are ranked the top 3 most "dangerous" cities in the country in the latest Macleans Magazine survey.
Macleans
New Findings on Immigrants, Crime, & Incarceration
A new report from a non-profit, non-partisan California think tank finds that immigrants, both legal and undocumented, have lower rates of incarceration and criminal activity in California than the U.S.-born population.
San Jose Mercury News
Murder or Traffic Fatalities: Which is Worse?
Tue, 02/27/2007 - 12:03
New Orleans is experiencing a crime wave. High murder rates in the first two months of 2007 have made national attention. Anderson Cooper of CNN has been following this story. So far this year he has devoted two hour-long shows to this topic. I live in central New Orleans and my biggest complaint about the city is the high crime rate. I don’t think our city will recover if we fail to address this most serious issue. Crime makes you ask yourself – should I move to the suburbs where it’s safer and commute? But being a transportation planner, I can’t help but follow-up that question with – If I spend a lot more time driving will my exposure to dieing in a car accident increase? So which is worse - murder or traffic fatalities?
