The edge effect: Exploring high crime zones near residential neighborhoods

Crime Pattern Theory offers a theoretical framework for a micro level explanation of the dynamics of crime in an urban environment. The research focuses on the novel use the concept of boundaries or edges to analyze micro level differences in crime in various urban neighborhoods. Edges are identified where there is dissimilarity between adjacent areas. Crime is more likely to occur along edges. Edges can be physical, social, temporal and economical or a product of these dimensions. This study compares crime data from the Municipality of Burnaby in British Columbia, Canada with patterns in land use data. Single family residential neighborhoods are constructed by joining adjacently zoned single family areas. The edges of these neighborhoods are the areas where the single family zoning changes to commercial, parks and higher density residential zoning The results finds crime is sixty four percent higher in these edges than in the interior of the neighborhoods. The results are discussed and future research proposed to repeat and enhance the model.