Mixed Land Use: Implications for Violence and Property Crime

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of mixed land use on violence and property crime in neighborhood block groups while simultaneously considering the presence of criminogenic facilities and sociodemographic conditions. We conduct negative binomial regression to examine the relationship between mixed land use and crime and investigate whether the relationship is moderated by sociodemographic characteristics or the presence of criminogenic facilities. The results suggest that mixed land use may reduce property crime while violent crime is influenced by mixed land use in nearby neighborhoods. There was an additional effect of the presence of particular facilities, notably bars, transportation stations, schools, stores, and gas stations in the neighborhood. There was some evidence that the impact of land use mix on crime varies dependent on residential mobility, ethnic diversity and the presence of bars, transport stations, and schools. Our findings indicate that those responsible for planning urban spaces and developing land use policies should consider differential effects of land use characteristics across neighborhood contexts.