The benefits of community gardens are hard to overstate. These green spaces, often in the midst of an urban landscape, are a boon to individuals and the community as a whole. One of the most surprising benefits is a significant and measurable reduction in crime.
An urban garden is a space that community members use to grow plants, often food. Community and urban garden benefits are numerous. These spaces are important for several reasons:
Numerous studies have shown that creating more green space, including community gardens in urban areas, reduces crime. Specifically, they reduce violent crimes and gun violence. The reasons are not always clear, but include creating a sense of community, improving the health of individuals, and renovating abandoned areas.
Most community gardens crop up in areas previously abandoned, reducing the number of untended, vacant lots in a city. Vacant lots are more than just an eyesore — they also tend to increase crime. By renovating these spaces, urban gardeners help reduce violence and crime rates.
Vacant land in cities accounts for about 15% of space. These overgrown spaces harbor crime by becoming dumping grounds, areas to use and sell drugs, and escape routes for criminals fleeing the police.
A study in Philadelphia put the renovation of abandoned spaces to the test. Researchers found that creating park spaces or even just cleaning up vacant lots reduced crime in the area by 10%. Crime dropped even further in neighborhoods with residents living below the poverty level. Gun violence dropped by 30%.
Any effort to clean up vacant lots has a positive impact on crime and safety. However, another study found that results were even better when residents were enlisted to help do the maintenance.
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