A recently study published in the University of Pennsylvania Law Review suggests that increasing residential zoning on blocks that are otherwise zoned commercial might be a viable means of reducing crime in urban areas. The study found that city blocks zoned exclusively for residential uses, as well as those zoned for residential and commercial mixed uses have less crime than blocks that are zoned solely for commercial use. The research shows that single-use commercially zoned blocks have expected crime rates that are about 45 percent higher than blocks with residential uses mixed in.
To learn more: http://publichealthlawresearch.org/related-news/policy-evidence/news/study-shows-zoning-residential-land-use-leads-decrease-crime-rates