Which Is Safer: A Neighborhood With Tree Cover or Without?


Walking home late at night, people often avoid walking under trees because that’s where it’s dark. If we can’t be seen, we’re more vulnerable–or that’s what it feels like, anyway. That perception is just one of the reasons that it’s always seemed intuitive that more trees in a neighborhood = more crime.

But is that notion, often taken for granted, something of an urbanist old wives tale? New research says it is. BeWell Philly reports on a recent study out of Temple University that uses Philadelphia as a test case–and surprisingly debunks old myths. Apparently, it has something to do with the calming effect of greenery, among other things. Would-be muggers find shrubs very soothing.

Temple Study Finds Gardens and Trees Are Crime Deterrents [BeWell Philly]