Doors and Windows Ordinance (Philadelphia, PA)
Solution types
Access Barriers
Problems addressed
Armed violence
Disorder and disturbance (or breach) of the peace
Crime and delinquency (multiple types)
Effectiveness

Promising

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Promising

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Life periods served
People of all ages
Where the program was applied
Community (streets or community centers)
Country of application
United States
Description

This is a legal requirement for the protection of doors and windows that obliges the owners of houses and buildings to keep them in good physical and functional condition, even if the properties are not in use or are abandoned.
The regulation also provides for notices to be sent to the owners in order to prevent illegal occupations and to disseminate social control and a greater perception of order in certain areas. The buildings are inspected every 35 days, and failure to comply with the improvements results in the imposition of significant fines of US$300/day.

Impact evaluations

An impact evaluation showed that the program reduced crime in the city, especially crimes related to social disorder, but no effect was observed on violent crimes involving firearms [1].

Bibliographic reference

[1] Kondo, M. C. et al. (2015). A difference-in-differences study of the effects of a new abandoned building remediation strategy on safety. PloS one, 10(7). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0129582

Information source