# ‘Your City Could Be Better’: How Philly Is Reducing Violence With Parks — Presented By City Cast Madison

An episode of [City Cast Madison](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1655458692), 20 Sep 2026, 29 min.

Audio: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/CC4658757015.mp3

Would Madison be better with fewer vacant, blighted lots? In Philly, the answer is overwhelmingly yes, with significant drops in crime and depression recorded near newly transformed, “greened” neighborhood lots. But how did they do it? David talks with City Cast Philly host Trenae Nuri and special guest Matt Rader, president of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, about how Philly prioritized revitalizing its abandoned outdoor space, the ways that having a nonprofit partner has made all the difference, and what still needs to be done. Mentioned on the show: • Study showing 29% decrease in gun violence near transformed lots: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1718503115 • Study showing 41% decrease in reported depression: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2688343 Is there something your city is doing that we should be talking about? Email David now! We’re also on Instagram: @yourcitycouldbebetter Looking to advertise on Your City Could Be Better? Check out our options.

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