Shootings, seizures, and speed: a quasi-experimental study of gunshot detection technology in a mid-sized capital city

Urban manufacturing has recently entered city planning discourses, fostering an increasing number of urban policies that promote the return and/or the conservation of production activities in the city. Many researchers have studied the diffusion of coworking and makerspaces, concentrating mostly on global cities and regions. Nonetheless, recent inquiries reveal that such activities shape reticular geography, which also includes in-between territories, namely mid-sized cities, industrial districts and widespread urbanizations. This paper investigates this territorial diffusion, assuming the Central area of the Emilia-Romagna Region as a case-study for the co-existence of two processes of manufacturing transformation. On the one hand, we have the transformation of traditional, specialized industrial districts due to globalization, the economic crisis and knowledge economy improvement, on the other hand, the diffusion of new, different makerspaces. Some of them are sustained by public policies, while others are linked to private initiatives. Some are located in mid-sized and capital cities, whereas others have flourished in dispersed urbanizations and industrial districts. By analyzing some concrete experiences, the paper addresses the following research questions: do makerspaces have relationships with local industrial and education/research ecosystems? Do they shape peculiar places and/or transform existing urban spaces? Do they contribute to social innovation and/or local welfare systems?

ObjectivesThis study explores the level to which Gunshot Detection Technology (GDT) leads to increased arrests and stops as compared to shots fired calls for service (CFS) in Chicago, Illinois.MethodsA two-process Knox test and point process test are applied to measure the level to which GDT alerts and CFS cluster with arrests and stops in space and time. Both tests are first applied to the aggregate arrest and stops data. We then disaggregate arrests and stops by type as well as suspect race/ethnicity to measure any disproportionate effects across GDT and CFS.ResultsBoth GDT alerts and CFS are significantly associated with arrests and stops occurring in close spatial and temporal proximity. The relative effect of GDT and CFS was consistent across race in the majority of instances. The small number of instances with disparate effects did not exhibit any clear patterning. For some racial groups and arrest/stop types, GDT was associated with heightened enforcement while CFS had a null effect, with the opposite relationship observed for other racial groups and arrest/stop types.ConclusionsOverall, the results indicate that GDT systems may not generate racial disparities in arrests and stops above and beyond what results from the standard police response to gunfire. Racial disparities resulting from police responses to reported gunfire likely relate to aspects of the reporting and dispatch processes generally rather than as they relate specifically to GDT.

Affordable Housing in New Brunswick is desperately needed. New Brunswickers have faced major challenges since the start of the 2019 Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, including record-breaking rent hikes, extreme increases to the public housing waitlist, full shelters, and growing encampments. Despite this crisis, the provincial government has rolled out only modest improvements in tenant protections and social housing investments. At the core of the province’s approach to the rental housing crisis is a decidedly neoliberal focus on increasing supply through tax cuts and encouraging housing starts. At the same time, the government of New Brunswick has embarked on municipal reform that gives cities additional capacities, including the ability to mobilize inclusionary zoning by-laws. In response to the housing crisis and against the backdrop of municipal reform, municipal governments across the province have been rolling out new affordable housing strategies. This paper analyzes the most recent strategies in two of New Brunswick’s mid-sized cities: Fredericton, the capital city, and Saint John, a port city and an industrial hub of the province. These strategies have, notably, been developed in a period of dramatic municipal reform and crisis. Attending to the distinct policy mechanisms proposed in these different strategies, we ask four key questions: How is the affordable housing crisis characterized within the municipal strategies? What roles are identified for municipal governments? What solutions are proposed? How do these strategies differ? This comparative analysis will provide a much-needed interrogation of the ways that the two municipal housing strategies have been developed amidst an aggressive neoliberal policymaking campaign in the affordable housing arena on the part of the province. It will also add to the literature a needed focus on the Maritime region, which is often neglected despite facing some of the highest rent increases in the country. At the same time, the government of New Brunswick has embarked on municipal reform that gives cities additional taxation capacities and the ability to mobilize inclusionary zoning by-laws (GNB, n.d., Community Planning Act, 2017). In response to the housing crisis and against the backdrop of municipal reform, municipal governments across the province have been rolling out new affordable housing strategies. This paper analyzes the most recent strategies in two of New Brunswick’s mid-sized cities: Fredericton, the capital city, and Saint John, a port city and an industrial hub of the province. These strategies have, notably, been developed in a period of dramatic municipal reform and crisis. Attending to the distinct policy mechanisms proposed in these different strategies, we ask three key questions: How do the municipalities understand the affordable housing crisis? What solutions are proposed? How and why do these strategies differ? This comparative analysis will provide a much-needed interrogation of how these two municipalities are incorporating and/or resisting what has been an aggressive neoliberal policymaking campaign in the affordable housing arena on the part of the province. It will also add to the literature a needed focus on the Maritime region which is often neglected.

The Urmia is the capital city of the Western Azerbaijan province that is an urban area and in the northwest of Iran. In recent years, the rapid increase in urban lands and areas in this city has resulted in inconsistent and extensive urban growth. The purpose of the present study is to predict the changes in the land use in midsize cities and apply this prediction on the case study of the Urmia city in Western Azerbaijan. Satellite images and IDRISI Andes have investigated the changes land use in the lands of Urmia city and were used GIS to examine the land use and changes from 1984 to 2011. Then, Markov Chain model and Cellular automate have been used in IDRISI Andes to document and propose a prospect of land use changes in the Urmia city in 2025. With respect to the land use changes, the results of the present study will indicate that the built up area in this city in 1984 was about 2706.57hectares; however, in 2011, the area of built urban zones in the same city has reached 9811.26 hectares. Hence, in 2025, it can be speculated that in the future, the area of built up will reach 12970.53 and the agricultural lands will inevitably be allocated for urban constructions; that is, in 2025, all agricultural lands will undergo a change of land use from farming into urbanization. It should be pointed out that due to the population growth in this area and the available lands, a 3000-hectare increase in the area will be needed to accommodate the increased population.

What does Gunshot Detection Technology tell us about gun violence?

This article describes the experiences and lessons learned from the implementation of gunshot detection technology (GDT) in three US cities. Data were derived from stakeholder interviews, community focus groups, and review of firearm-related criminal case files. Findings indicate that stakeholders view GDT to generate valuable investigative information, that officers are compliant with GDT response and protocols, and that residents accept GDT despite low levels of trust and confidence in the police. This article concludes with recommendations for future GDT implementations.

<p>Since the beginning of settled civilizations, cities have represented places of innovation and meeting points for flows of goods, services, people, ideas, and cultural expressions. Cities as places of interaction help to develop new ideas, solutions, and applications. If the spreading of innovation in the past appeared as a spontaneous process, nowadays it is inserted into more structured business models for enterprises and companies and in development policies at central, regional, and local levels. This also involves cities, as investing in innovation can represent opportunities for their growth. Urban geography literature, for instance, examines the urban life cycle, which has evolved into what Florida terms the "New Urban Crisis". Based on the "demographic winter" facing Italy and other industrialized countries, the present work aims to observe the most recent urban dynamics in spatial and demographic changes, innovation, and digital transitions. This research combined an analysis of innovative cities in Italy, based on the innovation index (ICity Rank) with demographic data, considering metropolitan cities and their functional urban areas (FUAs), along with a set of mid-sized cities identified as "innovative" and dynamic. Cities were ranked within the urban life cycle model, employing LISA (Local Moran's I) as a method for analysis and clustering. Using spatial analytical techniques, the work focused on the Italian urban system, its capital cities and mid-size innovative cities, considering urban dynamics in terms of population change, income, and innovation, observing their characteristics and recent evolution (2019–2023). The findings highlight the formation of urban "champions" and their characteristics in terms of ability to attract people and expertise. The results show that innovative metropolitan cities are able to maintain population levels, particularly in suburban rings, while populations in the core areas tend to decline. However, certain innovative metropolitan cities in Southern Italy maintained or increased the core population. In general, medium-sized cities present more interesting dynamics, showing either population stability or a slower rate of decline.</p>

ObjectivesWe examine the potential effects of gunshot detection technology longitudinally in Chicago through a synthetic control quasi-experiment.MethodsPolice districts receiving gunshot detection technology were compared to a synthetic control unit via a staggered difference-in-difference design. Across eleven unique gunshot detection technology deployment phases, the analyses produce results for aggregate, initial versus expanded, and phase-specific deployment effects across five gun violence outcome measures.ResultsGunshot detection technology had no effect on fatal shootings, non-fatal shootings, general part I gun crimes, or shots fired calls for service. Gun recoveries significantly increased in the aggregate, initial, and expanded models, and in several individual phases relative to controls.ConclusionsThe results align with prior literature that has found a procedural benefit, but not a crime prevention benefit, of gunshot detection technology. Law enforcement agencies seeking crime prevention or reduction solutions may be better served by investing in other options.

Car-orientated modal splits represent problems for the city in economic, environmental and social terms. The implementation of policies and other measures can fail if the causes are not well recognized. Mid-sized cities in Mexico are not well-represented in studies where only the capital and other bigger cities are studied. This research aims to recognize those causes focusing on northern midsized cities in Mexico. The approach involves numerical work (linear regression) complemented with a descriptive analysis of the city. The analysis takes on such areas of consideration as socio-economic factors, land-use variables and the street network of the city. Of the 16 variables, almost all presented a relationship with car ownership levels, but not all behaved as expected. The final part of the research is a reaction to the previous studies and recommendations to change the city from car-orientated to one with a sustainable modal split.

ObjectivesGun violence can negatively affect business activity at the place-level through a variety of mechanisms. However, estimating this effect is difficult since reported crime data are biased by factors that are also associated with business health. Despite some of its limitations, data from gunshot detection technology has been shown as a new valuable source of data on gun violence (Irvin-Erickson et al. in Appl Geogr 86: 262–273, 2017a). In this study, we use gunshot detection data to explore the spatial relationship between gunshots and business activity at the neighborhood level in Washington, DC between 2010 and 2012.MethodsIn this exploratory study, we create spatial buffers of 500 and 1000 feet around each block and sum up the total number of gunshots and business births, deaths, sales, and number of employees within these buffers each year and estimate a spatial fixed effects panel model.ResultsGunshots within 1000 feet of a block increase the number of business deaths by 4.3% within that buffer on average, and gunshots within 500 feet of a block decrease the total number of service and retail businesses, the number of employees employed by businesses within that buffer, and total sales for those businesses (although not at a statistically significant rate). Gunshots on blocks with the lowest initial levels of gunshots increase business turnover and reduce the total number of businesses present by 0.5%, and gunshots on blocks with the highest initial levels of gunshots cause an increase in the number of business deaths by 7.5%.ConclusionResults suggest that efforts to improve distressed neighborhoods should target both areas with lower and higher pre-existing levels of gunshots.

Gunshot detection technology (GDT) has been increasingly adopted by law enforcement agencies to tackle the problem of underreporting of crime via 911 calls for service, which undoubtedly affects the quality of crime mapping and spatial analysis. This article investigates the spatial and temporal patterns of gun violence by comparing data collected from GDT and 911 calls in Louisville, Kentucky. We applied hot spot mapping, near repeat diagnosis, and spatial regression approaches to the analysis of gunshot incidents and their associated neighborhood characteristics. We observed significant discrepancies between GDT data and 911 calls for service, which indicate possible underreporting of firearm discharge in 911 call data. The near repeat analysis suggests an increased risk of gunshots in nearby locations following an initial event. Results of spatial regression models validate the hypothesis of spatial dependence in frequencies of gunshot incidents and crime underreporting across neighborhoods in the study area, both of which are positively associated with proportions of African American residents, who are less likely to report a gunshot. This article adds to a growing body of research on GDT and its benefits for law enforcement activity. Findings from this research not only provide new insights into the spatiotemporal aspects of gun violence in urban areas but also shed light on the issue of underreporting of gun violence.

A study was conducted to test the impact of Gunshot Detection Technology (GDT) in several areas of Chicago. The GDT coverage area in Chicago expanded from approximately 3 squaremiles to over 136 square-miles between 2012 and 2018. Gun recoveries significantly increased in GDT coverage areas relative to areas that did not use the technology, but GDT had no effect on fatal shootings, non-fatal shootings, general part I gun crime (assaults, batteries, and robberies involving guns), or shots fired calls for service. The results align with prior literature that has found a procedural benefit of GDT, such as quicker police response times, but not a preventative benefit, such as a reduction in the number of shootings.

ObjectivesThis study tests whether (1) shots fired calls for service in the gunshot detection technology (GDT) target area are more likely to be classified as unfounded; (2) police responses to shootings in the GDT target area are more likely to recover ballistic evidence or firearms; and (3) shootings in the GDT target area are more likely to be cleared.MethodsEntropy balancing created a weighted control group that equaled the treatment group across a range of covariates. GDT effect was tested through logistic regression models with entropy balancing weights set as probability weights.ResultsShots fired occurring in the GDT target area were 15% more likely to be classified as unfounded compared to control cases. GDT did not significantly influence the likelihood of evidence collection or case clearance in shooting incidents.ConclusionsGDT may not add investigative value to police responses to shooting incidents and may increase patrol workload.

This study explores the impact of gunshot detection technology (GDT) in Denver, CO, Milwaukee, WI, and Richmond, CA on officer workload and response times to firearm shooting notifications. All three departments experienced a twofold increase of being alerted to shooting incidents following GDT implementation, leading to a two- to threefold increase in staff time allocated to responding to these incidents. Response times to specific events were generally quicker for GDT alerts compared to traditional 911 calls for service regarding shots heard events. However, the time savings are primarily from the duration between notification and assignment of an officer, rather than the actual time taken by officers to arrive at the scene after being assigned. Insights from 46 stakeholder interviews offer optimal approaches for investigating shooting notifications and GDT program management. While GDT programs effectively reduce response times, agencies must anticipate increased workloads and implement specific program characteristics for optimal effectiveness.

First World developed regions are usually those which pioneer technological and social advancements that later spread over the rest of the globe. Mobility has a considerable impact on cities and the regions which contain them. “Smart cities” are expected to promote denser city centres where not only private car needs are taken into account. Decision-making is crucial for boosting social cohesion and inclusiveness through the right social appropriation of technological progress. The Spanish region of Navarra and its capital city Pamplona are currently experiencing profound transformations which aim at integrating “smart city”-related innovations. In spite of the central relevance of the automobile industry for its economy, Pamplona is making efforts for consolidating alternatives to its private car-centred mobility. Intermodal transportation options offer a more sustainable and socially inclusive mobility-paradigm. This paper incorporates an analysis of the narratives and discourses of some of the key stakeholders in play, such as politicians, transportation experts and engineers. Their main viewpoints are examined from a sociological approach as they could predict new collective trends valid not only for this mid-size city but also for many analogous cases.