Law Commons^™

Are Spread Out Cities Really Safer (Or, Is Atlanta Safer Than New York), Michael E. Lewyn

Cleveland State Law Review

Many commentators believe that low-density, car-dependent cities are safer than older, higher-density cities. According to a 1990 Gallup Poll, most Americans share this view. The poll showed that low-density Sunbelt cities are generally perceived as safer than they really are, and that high-density Frostbelt cities are often perceived as more dangerous than they really are. The purpose of this article is to answer the following questions: 1. How closely do public perceptions of major cities' safety correlate with actual crime rates? 2. Even if high-density cities have lower crime rates, might public perceptions be justified by the possibility that crime …