The Impact of City-Led Neighborhood Action on the Coproduction of Neighborhood Quality and Safety in Buffalo

Creating and sustaining safe, healthy urban environments requires active collaboration between residents and local governments. Public safety and the upkeep of public spaces depend, in a large part, on residents’ reports of crime and service needs. However, in underserved areas, factors such as urban decay, inadequate public services, and concentrated disadvantage have weakened these cooperative dynamics. This breakdown can exacerbate the underreporting of crime and service needs and deepen neighborhood inequalities.

In Buffalo, NY, the city-led initiative “Clean Sweeps” works to reduce neighborhood disparities through rapid beautification and community outreach in targeted city blocks. The program aims to improve quality of life by reducing crime and blight while fostering greater community engagement.

In an analysis of data from 77,955 matched properties (published elsewhere), researchers found that residents were more likely to report drug-related crimes (via 911) and blight-related service needs (via 311) compared to untreated properties in the 6 months following the Clean Sweep.

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