Reimagining Cities-Disrupting the Urban Doom Loop

It is not just absolute crime levels that impact street-level activity, but also how crime activity changes over time. While crime declined from 2021-2023 nationwide, about half of the WalkUPs in this study experienced an increase in their crime index over that two-year period. 85 There was a clear disparity in both change in crime and foot traffic recovery across WalkUPs. Downtowns experienced the largest increase in crime and have had the lowest overall foot-traffic recovery. Conversely, crime levels decreased in Urban University WalkUPs from 2021-2023, while foot traffic outpaced pre-pandemic levels by 8%.

Although the crime index increased between 2021-2023 in Downtowns, gateway cities’ Downtown crime remained essentially flat. Among Urban University WalkUPs, the crime index declined the most in gateway cities, and foot traffic improved significantly in these areas. These vibrant parts of major U.S. cities will be explored further later in this section. Ultimately, crime reduction is crucial for creating attractive, safe and successful neighborhoods. However, foot traffic recovery is influenced by more than just crime; it is driven by a holistic view of places to live, work and play.

CHANGE IN TOTAL CRIME INDEX AND FOOT TRAFFIC RECOVERY Crime change (2021-2023) and foot traffic recovery (2023 vs. 2019) by WalkUP type

15%

8%

0%

-12%

-15%

-19%

-25%

-30%

Downtown

Downtown Adjacent

Urban Commercial

Urban University

Change In Crime

Foot Traffic Recovery

Source: Placer.ai; Esri; Places Platform, LLC; Cushman & Wakefield Research

85 According to FBI data, https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/LATEST/webapp/#/pages/home.

64 Cushman & Wakefield