06/15/2026
https://www.facebook.com/share/1GcK44sZdc/
Flowers can lower crime rates. A study in Flint, Michigan, found that greening empty lots reduced violent crime by more than half.
Researchers focused on vacant lots in a high-crime neighborhood. Some lots were left alone. Others were cleaned of trash, planted with grass and flowers, and given a wooden fence. The lots that were greened saw a dramatic drop in crime compared to the lots that were left empty.
The reduction in crime was not small. Firearm violence fell by nearly fifty percent. Break-ins and theft also decreased. The effect lasted for years after the initial cleanup.
The greened lots sent a signal that someone cared about the neighborhood. People began spending more time outside. Neighbors who had never spoken to each other started conversations while walking past the new flower beds.
A garden that prevents shootings. The cheapest crime prevention program in history and the most beautiful.
