Examining the relationship between contested edges and intergroup crime dynamics

Abstract

The measurement of spatial patterns across urban areas is paramount in answering questions related to the dynamics of social phenomenon. Scholars have measured the layout of cities, land use, infrastructure, and other features of the built environment that may correlate with a number of social processes. Recently, several studies have posited the idea of a contested boundary as a way to measure where and to what extent intergroup conflict may occur. Contested boundaries are conceptualized as interstitial zones that separate communities of contrasting ethno-racial composition – areas where there is no clear majority group that makes up the population. Previous studies have successfully demonstrated the utility of this approach yet have largely based their work on the analysis of areas, potentially masking the local heterogeneity of incident locations in relation to surrounding neighborhoods. Using the City of Cincinnati as a case study, we reconceptualize contested areas as contested edges and determine whether the edges separating racially distinct neighborhoods are associated with a higher rate of interracial crime. Our results lend support for the use of an edge-based approach to evaluate urban social patterns and highlight the importance of accounting for local spatial heterogeneity when assessing ethno-racial group interaction.