Date of Award

December 2019

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management

Committee Member

David L White

Committee Member

Lincoln R Larson

Committee Member

Matthew TJ Brownlee

Abstract

The role of greenspace in urban areas has become a focus of research as municipalities seek to increase the quality of life in cities. Multiple benefits are found to be associated with greenspace, but disservices such as crime are often overlooked. Studies investigating the link between crime and greenspace have revealed mixed results and been limited in geographic scope. This dissertation sought to examine the crime and greenspace relationship, extending the analysis to multiple cities in order to describe how the relationship may vary in different contexts. Additionally, one possible cause of crime, increased temperatures, was investigated to determine how greenspace may moderate the impact of hot weather on crime risk. As urban parks are an important type of greenspace, the relationship between proximity to parks and crime was examined in four case cities. Parks are typically green areas of cities but also encompass less green land uses. This broad analysis revealed a more comprehensive understanding of how crime and greenspace are related which can inform residents and decision-makers of the benefits and possible drawbacks from including greenspace in city and community development.

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