Want to reduce crime and encourage greener living in your community? Share your plants and help others to landscape in your neighborhood.
Research conducted by the University of Illinois Landscape and Human Health Laboratory team has been doing on the subject of human interaction with the natural environment. Most significant is the 2001 study on how Chicago public housing residents who lived in apartment buildings which were surrounded by trees and greenery had forty-eight percent fewer property crimes and fifty-six percent fewer violent crimes than identical apartment buildings barren of greenery. It is quite remarkable to note that even modest amounts of greenery were linked with lower crime rates.
The researchers suggested one of the reasons crime was reduced might be that exposure to greenery reduces aggression by helping people to relax and de-stress. They based this claim on prior research showing an association between viewing nature and less mental fatigue.
Another reason suggested for their findings was that crime was reduced partly because the green space around those buildings have encouraged more people in the community to come outdoors in nature, thereby discouraging criminals by increasing community supervision. They also suggested that buildings and communities that have a landscaped appearance might be more likely to show potential criminals that residents care about and watch over their property. Based on this research, taking a calming exercise break by gardening or walking outdoors in a green environment seems a more positive way to relieve stress and help a community become infinitely more social.
National organizations built to promote community improvement such as America In Bloom can help encourage crime reduction in your neighborhood and city, while also enhancing landscaping and neighborhood improvements.
Above you can see I am doing my part – this is a recent photo of the community garden I built on a public sidewalk behind my back fence. Helping your community look beautiful and have less crime is not the job for others – it is a job for you. Get out there and make a difference today!
(To learn more about the studies which I have based this article, please go here - University of Illinois Landscape and Human Health Laboratory.)
Shawna Coronado says Get Healthy! Get Green! Get Community! www.thecasualgardener.com, The Green Blog - www.gardeningnude.com, or The Garden Blog - http://thecasualgardener.blogspot.com
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