Vacant Lot Cleanup

There was an overgrown, vacant lot across the street from my previous home. Neighbors came together to care for the lot - picking up litter, cutting the grass, and setting up a picnic table and trash can (see images below). The University of Pennsylvania conducted a study funded by the NIH and CDC that revealed:

“Neighborhoods where vacant lots were cleaned up experienced a 29 percent reduction in gun violence, 22 percent decrease in burglaries, and 30 percent drop in nuisances like noise complaints and illegal dumping.”