Trees as a crime-fighting tool?

I was very interested (albeit not fully convinced) to read a report in the Daily Mail.

The war against anti-social behaviour and crime has a surprising new ally - the tree.

Planting gardens and parks in neighbourhoods reduces vandalism, graffiti, litter and yobbish activity, research has revealed.

Even in the roughest inner-city estates, those living near gardens, parks and green spaces tend to be better behaved, healthier and live longer than those in 'urban deserts', the study found.

Professor Frances Kuo, who did the research, said being close to greenery was 'essential to our physical, psychological and social well-being'.

'The relationship between crime and vegetation is very clear - the more trees, the fewer crimes,' she said.

'It actually encourages people to use the spaces outside their homes which provides a natural form of surveillance.

'In fact, the data seem to indicate that if you have a landscape where you introduce well-maintained trees and grass, people will find that a safer environment.'

Professor Kuo studied some of the poorest districts of Chicago and demonstrated that crime in neighbourhoods with trees was lower - by as much as 7 per cent - compared with those without a view of greenery, even after factors such as income and education were taken into account.

The University of Illinois professor has carried out extensive research since the mid-1990s showing the benefits of green spaces.

Her studies have shown that students perform better in tests and locals have more harmonious personal relationships when trees and grass are around.

Children with attention disorders behaved better after walking in parkland compared with those who had to exercise in treeless areas, she told the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference in Chicago last night.

Professor Kuo said: 'We certainly want to address the root causes of crime but it doesn't cost very much to plant a few trees around an apartment building.'

I can see what Professor Kuo is getting at. Certainly, I've had times in my life when I've longed for forests and tall trees. Where I'm not so certain is whether you can raise a child in an inner-city concrete-jungle gang-ridden slum, yet counteract those appalling influences by planting trees around him. Can the greenery effectively compensate for all the other negativity in his or her life?

I'm not sure it can . . . but I'd love to see someone plant trees all over the slums of Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Los Angeles and other troubled cities. It wouldn't cost much, compared to the billions already squandered there: and if it helps even a few people in those hell-holes, I'm all for it.

Peter