Research note: Examining the association between tree canopy, parks and crime in Chicago

Urban green spaces have been shown to benefit residents' physical and mental health as well as strengthen social ties. Some studies have found that presence of vegetation also might reduce crime. We examined whether an association exists between two forms of green space (1) tree canopy and (2) public parks and crime rates in the city of Chicago. Using publicly available data, we calculated percent tree canopy, percent acreage parks, and crime rate for assault, battery, burglary, homicide, narcotics, and robbery between years 2009-2013 for each of Chicago's 801 census tracts. We used general linear modeling to determine whether tree canopy and crime rates as well as park area and crime rates were correlated after accounting for socioeconomic variables and spatial autocorrelation. An inverse association was found between percent tree canopy and crime rates for assault, battery, robbery, and narcotics. No significant association was found between crime types analyzed, with the exception of burglary, and percent park acreage.