Pathways of crime: Measuring crime concentration along urban roadways

Abstract

Some urban spaces are associated with disproportionate numbers of criminal events, while other areas are relatively free from disorder and crime. The relationship between urban space and crime concentration has received increased attention in recent years, with the location quotient frequently presented as a tool to identify and quantify such concentration. This measure has several limitations, with one significant concern surrounding the choice of denominator with which to standardize local and global rate calculations. In response, we present a new methodological adaptation to the location quotient, improving the measurement of crime concentration along linear features. To test this adaptation, we measure how crime concentrates by road classification at both a macro and micro level within two Canadian suburban municipalities. Using transportation network data, we identify the road types that are associated with a disproportionate concentration of criminal events, and illustrate how these relationships change alongside the level of aggregation. Results support the use of the adapted location quotient, finding that criminal events concentrate along specific road types, and emphasize the importance of spatial scale in understanding local relationships between crime and the built urban landscape.