title: Urban Blight Remediation as a Cost-Beneficial Solution to Firearm Violence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if blight remediation of abandoned buildings and vacant lots can be a cost-beneficial solution to firearm violence in US cities.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed quasi-experimental analyses of the impacts and economic returns on investment of urban blight remediation programs involving 5112 abandoned buildings and vacant lots on the occurrence of firearm and nonfirearm violence in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from 1999 to 2013. We adjusted before-after percent changes and returns on investment in treated versus control groups for sociodemographic factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Abandoned building remediation significantly reduced firearm violence -39% (95% confidence interval [CI] = -28%, -50%; P < .05) as did vacant lot remediation (-4.6%; 95% CI = -4.2%, -5.0%; P < .001). Neither program significantly affected nonfirearm violence. Respectively, taxpayer and societal returns on investment for the prevention of firearm violence were $5 and $79 for every dollar spent on abandoned building remediation and $26 and $333 for every dollar spent on vacant lot remediation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Abandoned buildings and vacant lots are blighted structures seen daily by urban residents that may create physical opportunities for violence by sheltering illegal activity and illegal firearms. Urban blight remediation programs can be cost-beneficial strategies that significantly and sustainably reduce firearm violence.
authors.affiliation: Charles C. Branas is with the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology and the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia. Michelle C. Kondo is with the US Department of Agriculture-Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Philadelphia. Sean M. Murphy is with the Department of Health Policy and Administration, Washington State University, Spokane. Eugenia C. South is with the Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine. Daniel Polsky is with the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, the Wharton School of Business, and the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. John M. MacDonald is with the Department of Criminology and the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania, School of Arts and Sciences, Philadelphia.
authors.forename: Charles C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Branas
authors.affiliation: Charles C. Branas is with the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology and the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia. Michelle C. Kondo is with the US Department of Agriculture-Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Philadelphia. Sean M. Murphy is with the Department of Health Policy and Administration, Washington State University, Spokane. Eugenia C. South is with the Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine. Daniel Polsky is with the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, the Wharton School of Business, and the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. John M. MacDonald is with the Department of Criminology and the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania, School of Arts and Sciences, Philadelphia.
authors.forename: Michelle C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.affiliation: Charles C. Branas is with the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology and the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia. Michelle C. Kondo is with the US Department of Agriculture-Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Philadelphia. Sean M. Murphy is with the Department of Health Policy and Administration, Washington State University, Spokane. Eugenia C. South is with the Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine. Daniel Polsky is with the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, the Wharton School of Business, and the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. John M. MacDonald is with the Department of Criminology and the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania, School of Arts and Sciences, Philadelphia.
authors.forename: Sean M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: Charles C. Branas is with the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology and the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia. Michelle C. Kondo is with the US Department of Agriculture-Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Philadelphia. Sean M. Murphy is with the Department of Health Policy and Administration, Washington State University, Spokane. Eugenia C. South is with the Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine. Daniel Polsky is with the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, the Wharton School of Business, and the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. John M. MacDonald is with the Department of Criminology and the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania, School of Arts and Sciences, Philadelphia.
authors.forename: Eugenia C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: South
authors.affiliation: Charles C. Branas is with the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology and the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia. Michelle C. Kondo is with the US Department of Agriculture-Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Philadelphia. Sean M. Murphy is with the Department of Health Policy and Administration, Washington State University, Spokane. Eugenia C. South is with the Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine. Daniel Polsky is with the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, the Wharton School of Business, and the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. John M. MacDonald is with the Department of Criminology and the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania, School of Arts and Sciences, Philadelphia.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Polsky
authors.affiliation: Charles C. Branas is with the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology and the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia. Michelle C. Kondo is with the US Department of Agriculture-Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Philadelphia. Sean M. Murphy is with the Department of Health Policy and Administration, Washington State University, Spokane. Eugenia C. South is with the Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine. Daniel Polsky is with the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, the Wharton School of Business, and the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. John M. MacDonald is with the Department of Criminology and the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania, School of Arts and Sciences, Philadelphia.
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: MacDonald
mesh_terms: D002947:Cities; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005389:Firearms; D006801:Humans; D014481:United States; D014506:Urban Renewal / Q000191:economics; D014754:Violence / Q000517:prevention & control*