Date of Award
5-2016
Degree Type
Research Paper
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Community Development and Planning (CDP)
Department
International Development, Community and Environment
Chief Instructor
Yelena Ogneva-Himmelberger
Second Reader
Laurie Ross
Keywords
GIS, community safety, fear, Bivariate LISA, crime
Abstract
The relationship between reported crime and residential perceptions of safety is understudied and inconclusive due to its highly complicated nature. This study seeks to narrow this gap by using sketch maps collected from residents about their safety and crime data. Two methods, one visual, the other statistical (Bivariate LISA), were tested using data from sketch maps drawn by about 95 survey respondents and crime data spanning three years (2011-2014). Data was disaggregated by gender, age, and length of residency. Visual analysis of results show that perceptions of safety occur at a fine scale. Respondents marked sketch maps at varying scales and attached their perception to features such as parks, street names, and street corners. Therefore, the method chosen for statistical analysis of this relationship was unable to capture these nuances and was deemed ineffective. However, the visual results show emerging patterns and suggestions for future collection and analysis of data are recommended.
Recommended Citation
Khananayev, Marina, "Does crime correlate with fear?: Analyzing the Spatial Relationship between Perceptions of Safety and Crime using Sketch Maps and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in the Main South Neighborhood of Worcester, MA" (2016). International Development, Community and Environment (IDCE). 14.
https://commons.clarku.edu/idce_masters_papers/14
Worcester
Yes
Included in
Community-Based Research Commons, Criminology Commons, Geographic Information Sciences Commons, Human Geography Commons, Place and Environment Commons, Urban Studies and Planning Commons