Crime on Postbuyout Open Space
Resident Perceptions Versus Reported Events in Harris County, Texas
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21373842 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Elyse Zavar (0000-0001-5017-8411, University of North Texas, corresponding author), Adam E Clark (0000-0002-5008-1836, Texas State University), Sherri Brokopp Binder (0000-0002-8004-9407, BrokoppBinder Research & Consulting), Alex Greer (0000-0002-5910-1637, University at Albany, State University of New York) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 78 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 14-25 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-02 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Professional Geographer (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0033-0124 • E-ISSN: 1467-9272 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/00330124.2025.2581606 |
| OpenAlex | W4416425860 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 34 |
In the aftermath of environmental disasters, communities across the globe are implementing household relocation programs as hazard mitigation strategies. In the United States, these programs are known as buyouts, which relocate people and structures out of high-risk areas, managing the acquired land as open space. Typically, buyout open spaces are managed as vacant lots, which more generally are associated with increased crime and blight. Using a mixed-methods approach of hot spot and harmspot analyses in geographic information systems, a visual analysis of photographs of buyout areas, and resident interviews in Harris County, Texas, from 2014 to Citation2022, we examined spatial patterns of reported crime and residents’ perceptions of crime on buyout open space. Although our visual analysis suggests the perception of prevalent crime in buyout areas, the spatial analysis shows only minimal hot spots of high reported crime areas in buyout neighborhoods. Additionally, resident interviews suggest infrequent crime and safety issues. This study provides an important first step in understanding the relationship between reported and perceived crime in buyout open space with opportunities for future scholarship
Fear of crime · Homicide · Occupational safety and health · Perception · Poison control · Crime Patterns and Interventions · Environmental Justice and Health Disparities · Wildlife Conservation and Criminology Analyses
The physical environment of street blocks and resident perceptions of crime and disorder
The Influence of Power on Post-Buyout Land Management Practices
“Perception bias”
Biophilia as climate justice for post-buyout land management
Urban decline and residential preference
Nodes, paths and edges
Integrating social and ecological considerations in floodplain relocation and restoration programs
Temporal Vulnerability and the Post-Disaster ‘Window of Opportunity to Woo
Land use change on U.S. floodplain buyout sites, 1990-2000
Home buyouts
Landscape care of urban vacant properties and implications for health and safety
More Than Just An Eyesore
Addressing the Vacant and Abandoned Property Problem
Linking places to problems
Complexities and costs of floodplain buyout implementation
The relationship between vacant properties and neighborhood gentrification
Upheaval”
Residential perspectives
"Rethinking "Disinvestment
Metaphors Matter
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |