# Firearm violence prevention through community-engaged vacant property reuse: Application of Busy Streets Theory in Detroit

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2021 · $2,247,415

## Abstract

Project Summary
Vacant lots, when left untended, become liabilities for communities with consequences for crime and violence,
including firearm violence. In Detroit, high vacancies may contribute to rates of firearm-related homicide that
are more than seven times the national average. A growing body of evidence suggests that remediating and
improving vacant lots is a promising strategy to reduce violent crime and firearm assaults. Researchers have
also shown that community engagement in efforts to improve vacant lots may be a critical component to
sustain efforts and improve violence reduction outcomes. Yet, researchers have examined a relatively narrow
range of greening strategies including simple lot remediation (e.g., removing trash & debris) and installation of
small-scale lot treatments (e.g., planting trees, installing split rail fencing), and have largely not explored the
effect of engaging residents in this process. Further, there is a lack of research on how these efforts may
prevent firearm violence, specifically. The purpose of this study will be to examine firearm incidents and injury
occurring near vacant lot reuse project sites in Detroit, Michigan where community-based organizations have
reclaimed vacant lots for productive purposes. In partnership with local land reuse organizations, we will
identify approximately 300 project sites across the city from four categories of vacant lot reuse, including urban
agriculture, green infrastructure, pocket parks, and place-making. We will test the hypothesis that vacant lot
reuse is an effective strategy for prevention of firearm violence and compare the effects of different types of
vacant lot reuse on firearm incidents and injury. We will also examine how the level of community engagement
may enhance the effects of vacant lot reuse on firearm violence through site surveys and case studies of
successful community engaged project sites with a reduction in firearm incidents. Our specific aims for the
proposed research are to 1) Examine the effect of different types of vacant lot reuse projects on total firearm
crime incidents and injury over time; 2) Examine how the level of community engagement in the vacant lot
reuse projects may enhance the effects of lot reuse on firearm crime incidents; and 3) Conduct in-depth case
studies of 12 vacant lot reuse sites and their effect on firearm outcomes and community engagement to identify
facilitating factors and barriers to effective reuse.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10398443
- **Project number:** 1R01HD108021-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** Justin Edward Heinze
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $2,247,415
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-09-17 → 2025-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10398443

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10398443, Firearm violence prevention through community-engaged vacant property reuse: Application of Busy Streets Theory in Detroit (1R01HD108021-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10398443. Licensed CC0.

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