Neighborhood Disorder Through the Lens of Public Policy in Chicago
Introduction
Author: Rasheedah Na'Allah
Department: UIC Institute for Policy and Civic Engagement
Advisor: Dr. Joseph K. Hoereth, IPCE
Abstract: The concept of neighborhood disorder – referring to physical conditions of neglect and behavior patterns that impact residents’ perceptions of safety and trust in institutions – has been one of the longest-standing, most difficult problems for Chicago’s policymakers to address. The aim of this project is to examine the impact of recent policy interventions on neighborhood disorder throughout Chicago, paying special attention to community-based violence prevention programs, changes to the city’s nuisance property ordinance, and the recently enacted Reimagine Public Safety Act. Departing from traditional metrics based solely on crime statistics, this analysis draws upon multiple indicators of disorder, including tangible physical disinvestment, eviction rates, gun victimization statistics, and community well-being indices. Using a mixed-methods approach, this research brings together peer-reviewed scholarship, government documents, legislation, and neighborhood-specific data in order to assess the effect of different policy initiatives on disorder trends throughout Chicago’s neighborhoods. The research demonstrates that collective efficacy – that is, citizens’ joint commitment to take action in the interest of the whole community – is a better predictor of neighborhood safety than visible disorder alone, and that community investment models like the Reimagine Public Safety Act and Chicago’s Large Lot program can be shown to have a positive impact on reducing violence and disorder. Nevertheless, the effects of public policy on neighborhood disorder differ dramatically across Chicago’s neighborhoods, and that more coercive tactics like nuisance ordinances have had negative side-effects, including discouraging crime reporting and hastening evictions. Through examining these policy innovations within the larger context of Chicago’s public safety landscape and structural inequalities, this research contributes to our understanding of the impact of policy intervention on neighborhood disorder.
Keywords: Neighborhood disorder, City housing policy, Ordinance reform, Redlining, Reimagine Public Safety Act