Journal of Planning Education and Research, Ahead of Print.
This study examines the relationship of blight reduction with violent crime in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. We examine whether an initiative to paint murals in high-crime areas was associated with declines in calls for service for violent crime. This relationship was assessed by analyzing variation in calls for service in the areas within 500 feet of mural installations and at the block group level over a nine-year period. Our findings suggest the influence of blight reduction strategies for violence can vary by unit of analysis and that such strategies by themselves are unlikely to be strongly associated with reductions in violence.