Large Scale Natural Experiment of Community Economic Development: Effects on Vio

描述(由申请人提供)：为回应《社区暴力法》，我们建议评估两种旨在改变社区经济和环境特征的干预措施在降低社区青少年暴力发生率方面的效果。在许多情况下，实施大规模经济干预并评估其效力的时间、资金和基础设施令人望而却步。然而，在宾夕法尼亚州匹兹堡，我们目前有机会和优势评估在匹兹堡两个历史上处于不利地位的少数族裔社区进行的两次大规模自然实验的效果。第一个社区是山区，将进行开发，建设一个新的体育和娱乐场所，计划于2010年开放。这一开发项目将包括一项社区福利协议(CBA)，旨在确保经济利益惠及希尔地区的居民。在第二个社区，北区，赌博已经合法化，一座赌场正在建设中，赌场计划于2009年5月开业。通过之前的工作合作，我们可以获得实施这些发展之前和之后的犯罪、医院、社会经济和精神卫生服务数据。这将使我们能够以相对较小的成本进行拟议的研究。这项研究的结果将为大规模经济发展是否有可能改变社区一级暴力的比率和模式，以及经济发展类型和CBA的存在是否具有不同的影响提供经验证据。该项目将汇集来自暴力研究中心(匹兹堡大学伤害研究和控制中心(CIRCL))、公共政策和人口学(匹兹堡大学公共卫生研究生院(GSPH))和数据监测(大学、社区、领导人和残疾人中心(UCLID)和CIRCL)等研究中心的流行病学、人口学和社会科学方面的专业研究人员，以及在自然干预措施中实施准实验设计的统计技术方面经验丰富的专家。为回应《社区暴力法》，我们建议评估两项旨在改变社区经济和环境特征的干预措施在降低社区青少年暴力发生率方面的成效。这项研究的结果将为大规模经济发展是否有可能改变社区一级暴力的比率和模式，以及经济发展类型和社区利益协议(CBA)的存在是否具有不同的影响提供经验证据。

Description (Provided by Applicant): In response to the RFA, we propose to assess the efficacy of two interventions designed to change the economic and environmental characteristics of the community on reducing community youth violence rates. In many cases, the time, funding and infrastructure to implement large scale economic interventions and assess their efficacy is prohibitive. However, in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania we currently have the opportunity and advantage to assess the effects of two large scale natural experiments in two historically disadvantaged minority neighborhoods in Pittsburgh. The first neighborhood, the Hill District, will undergo development for a new sports and entertainment arena scheduled to open in 2010. This development will include a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) designed to assure that economics benefits go to residents of the Hill District. In the second neighborhood, the North Side, gambling has been legalized, a casino is being built, and the casino is scheduled to open May 2009. Through previous work collaborations we have access to crime, hospital, socioeconomic and mental health services data before and after the implementation of these developments. This will allow us to carry out the proposed study at a relatively small cost. Outcomes from this research will provide empirical evidence on whether large scale economic developments have the potential to alter rates and patterns of community level violence and whether the types of economic development and the presence of a CBA have differing effects. This project will bring together researchers with expertise in epidemiology, demography and social science from research centers which focus on violence (University of Pittsburgh Center for Injury Research and Control (CIRCL)), public policy and demography (University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health (GSPH)), and data surveillance (The University, Community, Leaders, and Individuals with Disabilities (UCLID) Center and CIRCL) as well as experts experienced in statistical techniques for implementing quasi-experimental designs in naturally occurring interventions. In response to the RFA, we propose to assess the efficacy of two interventions designed to change the economic and environmental characteristics of the community on reducing community youth violence rates. Outcomes from this research will provide empirical evidence on whether large scale economic developments have the potential to alter rates and patterns of community level violence and whether the types of economic development and the presence of a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) have differing effects.