The Pen or the Sword: A Situated Spatial Analysis of Graffiti and Violent Injury in Vancouver, British Columbia

Graffiti is a ubiquitous feature of the urban landscape commonly perceived to be a symptom of disorder, deprivation, and violence. Broken windows theory asserts that it is also a cause. To examine this, we conduct a geographic correlation study of graffiti and violence using geographic information s...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Professional geographer 2015-10, Vol.67 (4), p.608-619
Main Authors: Walker, Blake Byron, Schuurman, Nadine
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
análisis espacial
broken windows theory
geografía urbana
Geographic information systems
Geographical information systems
Graffiti
grafiti
Location analysis
Neighborhoods
Neighbourhoods
Public health
spatial analysis
teoría de las ventanas rotas
Urban areas
urban geography, violence
Vancouver British Columbia Canada
violencia
破窗理论，涂鸦，空间分析，城市地理学，暴力
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Graffiti is a ubiquitous feature of the urban landscape commonly perceived to be a symptom of disorder, deprivation, and violence. Broken windows theory asserts that it is also a cause. To examine this, we conduct a geographic correlation study of graffiti and violence using geographic information systems. A strong spatial covariation is observed, with spatially dependent residual clusters suggesting that the graffiti-violence relationship is context dependent and varied. Ferrell and Weide's spot theory provides a lens for situating hot spots and facilitating a more nuanced interrogation of graffiti and violence in several Vancouver neighborhoods. We advocate for situated spatial analyses of interpersonal violence to inform public health interventions and advance policymaking beyond the popular aesthetic symbolism of urban space.
ISSN:0033-0124
1467-9272
DOI:10.1080/00330124.2014.970843