Introducing AmericanViolence.Org

I started this project because the research I have been doing for the last several years has convinced me that violence is the fundamental problem of American cities--if public spaces are not safe, then the very idea of city life breaks down. But I have also found that when violence falls, public life flourishes, schools start to work, families return to parks and playgrounds, and children have greater opportunities to learn, to find jobs nearby, and to move upward and out of poverty as they progress toward adulthood. In my recent book, Uneasy Peace, I laid out an agenda to reduce violence in every city and neighborhood across the country. To realize that agenda we need better research on violence, and that starts with data. My hope is that this site will complement other resources that have become available to focus the attention of the public and policy makers on the challenge of reducing violence.