The Real Picture of Land Use Density and Crime: A GIS Application

Author: Jianling Li
Organization: University of Texas at Arlington

Box 19588
Arlington, TX 76019
USA

Phone: (817)272-3367
Fax: (817)272-5008
jjli@uta.edu

A widely held belief is that high density of land use is intimately associated with high crime rate. As a result, elected officials often resist the temptation to undertake projects of high-density development in their jurisdiction. However, results of GIS show that a high crime rate is not directly linked to high-density development but to the low socioeconomic status of the delinquents. This paper demonstrates the utility of GIS in the study of the relationship between land use patterns and crime rates and in the development of livable communities.