Can cleaning vacant lots cause a chain of events that curbs child abuse or stops a teen from falling victim to violence? That’s the provocative question behind a new research project to study whether maintaining vacant lots and fixing up blighted properties in high-crime areas reduces incidents of youth and family violence. The National Institutes of Health awarded Tulane a $2.3 million grant to test the theory in New Orleans. Katherine Theall, Cecile Usdin Professor in Women’s Health in the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, is the principal investigator.

Harvard University Press offers a podcast of emeritus professor of history Larry Powell discussing his book, The Accidental City: Improvising New Orleans, about the founding of the city of New Orleans.