A fascinating article on the relationship between environmental conditions and sociology, explains how urban community gardens — in formerly vacant lots — actually reduced violence in the areas around them.
There’s been a growing body of research that suggests that urban farming and greening not only strengthen community bonds but also reduce violence. …
Over the course of 10 years, [gradens] reduced shootings in the areas surrounding these renewed lots. Part of it was practical: The vacant lots had previously been hiding places for guns. … and … “People just became more in touch with their neighbors. People felt more connected to each other.”
— Kotlowitz and Schiffer (2012): Plant Tomatoes. Harvest Lower Crime Rates in Mother Jones.