Date on Master's Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation

5-2017

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

M.S.

Department (Legacy)

Department of Geography and Geosciences

Degree Program

Geography (Applied), MS

Committee Chair

Zhang, Haifeng

Committee Member

Hanchette, Carol

Committee Member

Zhang, Sumei

Author's Keywords

gentrification; crime; beer; coffee; brew; urban

Abstract

This study analyzes recent findings analyzing coffee shops as alternative indicators of gentrification and the spatial relationship to violent crime. This thesis seeks to add to this literature by providing additional alternative gentrification indicators such as breweries, distilleries and wineries. The change in number of coffee shops, breweries, distilleries and wineries may impact crime rates and multiyear average incidences of homicide and robbery in the city of Louisville, KY. The first hypothesis states that gentrification decreases multiyear average robberies per census tract from 2010 to 2016. The second hypothesis states that gentrification decreases multiyear average homicides per census tract from 2010 to 2016. Described by three criminological theories: routine activities theory, social disorganization theory and broken window theory. Multiyear averages for robberies and homicides were spatially analyzed with these alternative gentrification indicators and their change over time. This thesis found that multiyear average robberies have a higher negative relationship with alternative gentrification indicators in census tracts found in lower income neighborhoods. There was no significant relationship between multiyear average homicides and alternative gentrification indicators.

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