The city of Philadelphia's Doors and Windows Ordinance applied the Broken Windows Theory to positive results.
"To remediate dilapidated neighborhoods, four years ago Philadelphia passed an ordinance requiring vacant property owners to make simple, cheap renovations to building fronts," according to an article by Kate Wheeling, and the results have been solidly positive.
A team of researchers evaluated the abandoned building remediation strategy, enabled by the 2011 Doors and Windows Ordinance, and published their findings recently in the journal PLoS One.
"The researchers found that the restoration plan had a significant effect on crime: Over the study period, the city saw small reductions in total crime, specifically in assaults, gun assaults, robberies, and nuisance crimes around abandoned buildings that made moves to comply with the new ordinance. Even greater reductions were seen around buildings that applied for renovation permits above and beyond the windows and doors."
FULL STORY: A Superficial Solution for Crime That Actually Works
Court Restores 'Doors and Windows' Code Enforcement Ordinance in Philadelphia
One of Philadelphia's most potent code enforcement tools is back in effect after the state Supreme Court overturned a previous ruling by a lower court.
Philadelphia Goes High-Tech to Monitor Vacant Properties
The city of Philadelphia has deployed high-tech sensors and a new statistical model in its ongoing fight against the blight and health problems that follow vacant and abandoned properties.
Philadelphia Could Lose Free Transit Program
The city’s upcoming budget doesn’t include the Zero Fare program, which offers free SEPTA fare to more than 24,000 residents.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.
Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.
Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
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Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
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NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service