Violent Times: A Case Study of the Ybor City Historic District

Abstract

This case analysis of an urban historic district tracks the demographic, economic, and public policy trends that influenced its violent crime volumes. Constructs from routine activities theory and environmental criminology are used to explain these crime trends. Findings are (a) macrostructural forces influenced crime volumes; (b) populations drawn to the area’s nightlife had an impact on crime; (c) considering the number of people who visited the area, the victimization risks there were greater than was average for all of Tampa; (d) the demographics of the areas surrounding the district had less impact on crime there than has been assumed; and (e) the high density of bars facilitated the occurrence of violent crime beyond what would have been generated with other land uses. Recommendations are presented for guiding the formation of public policy that will affect the future crime trends in the district and may also be generalized to similar areas undergoing economic revitalization.