Keith Green has an unusual interest in empty, unused properties, even while he is on vacation. Recently, Green, an American, was visiting Shanghai, China. He went out for dinner when he discovered something that made him stop and take a picture. “Everyone else is taking pictures of the skyline,” he told VOA. “I’m taking a picture of a vacant lot.” Most travelers do not seek out vacant properties. In Green’s hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, vacant lots are often home to increased crime. People often leave trash or hide illegal weapons and drugs in them. But Green is leading an effort to remove these problem areas from Philadelphia’s low-income communities. In their place, he creates “green spaces,” or areas that are like small parks, with plenty of trees or other plants. It is a huge job. The city has an estimated 40,000 vacant lots. Still, Green is seeing how a little green space can make a big difference in parts of the city that experience high levels of poverty and crime.
Title: ‘Green Spaces’ May Help Reduce Crime, Depression in Poor Areas
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2836/e187c6d1-ffa0-4bb9-9272-ae033bccdeec_hq.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Green Spaces May Help Reduce Crime, Depression in Poor Areas' data-article-id='3401'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='9229'>Keith Green has an unusual interest in empty, unused properties, even while he is on vacation.</span> <span data-start-time='9229' data-end-time='16021'>Recently, Green, an American, was visiting Shanghai, China.</span> <span data-start-time='16021' data-end-time='23271'>He went out for dinner when he discovered something that made him stop and take a picture.</span> <span data-start-time='23271' data-end-time='29292'>“Everyone else is taking pictures of the skyline,” he told VOA.</span> <span data-start-time='29292' data-end-time='33292'>“I’m taking a picture of a vacant lot.”</span> <span data-start-time='33292' data-end-time='38438'>Most travelers do not seek out vacant properties.</span> <span data-start-time='38438' data-end-time='47229'>In Green’s hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, vacant lots are often home to increased crime.</span> <span data-start-time='47229' data-end-time='54083'>People often leave trash or hide illegal weapons and drugs in them.</span> <span data-start-time='54083' data-end-time='63042'>But Green is leading an effort to remove these problem areas from Philadelphia’s low-income communities.</span> <span data-start-time='63042' data-end-time='73563'>In their place, he creates “green spaces,” or areas that are like small parks, with plenty of trees or other plants.</span> <span data-start-time='73563' data-end-time='763667'>It is a huge job.</span> <span data-start-time='763667' data-end-time='81563'>The city has an estimated 40,000 vacant lots.</span> <span data-start-time='81563' data-end-time='94104'>Still, Green is seeing how a little green space can make a big difference in parts of the city that experience high levels of poverty and crime.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2836/59F5F40C-BC34-4914-A0AF-C85441422DB4_cx0_cy8_cw0_w1023_r1_s.jpg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=11614 data-hint-location='29292' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2836/what_does_vacant_mean.wav'>What does vacant mean?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='not filled, used, or lived in'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2836/not_filled_used_or_lived_in.wav'><span>not filled, used, or lived in</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2836/not_responsible_for_a_specific_crime_or_wrongdoing.wav'><span>not responsible for a specific crime or wrongdoing</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2836/not_feeling_well.wav'><span>not feeling well</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2836/unusual.wav'><span>unusual</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=11615 data-hint-location='0' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2836/keith_green_has_an_unusual_interest_in_empty_unused_what.wav'>Keith Green has an unusual interest in empty, unused what?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='properties'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2836/properties.wav'><span>properties</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2836/cars.wav'><span>cars</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2836/beaches.wav'><span>beaches</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2836/bags.wav'><span>bags</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=11616 data-hint-location='763667' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2836/the_city_has_an_estimated_40000__blank_.wav'>The city has an estimated 40,000 <span class='blank'>vacant lots</span></div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='vacant lots'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2836/vacant_lots.wav'><span>vacant lots</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2836/grocery_stores.wav'><span>grocery stores</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2836/churches.wav'><span>churches</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2836/eagles_fans.wav'><span>Eagles fans</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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