Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
Area-based interventions (ABIs) have been a popular policy approach since the 1960s at least in the UK context yet they are bedevilled by concerns that gains in the intervention area may be a result of displacement of problems to neighbouring areas. The arrival of the New Labour government in 1997 saw a surge in 'localism' of a variety of forms, including the innovative and intensive New Deal for Communities ABI. This paper presents findings of a national evaluation of the crime strand of the NDC Programme which focussed on assessing evidence of geographical displacement. There is virtually no evidence of displacement around the NDC Partnerships but there is relatively widespread diffusion of benefit from the Programme to neighbouring areas. Fears of policy-makers and practitioners that ABIs will cause geographical displacement of social problems to nearby areas look unfounded and diffusion of benefit seems much more likely.
Whitworth et al. (Wed,) studied this question.