I bet you're right on what's driving this. The last two houses I have lived in are very close to each other, but one is on a quiet culdesac while the other is on a through street convenient for foot traffic. There is definitely a small but noticeable difference in the amount of crime and sketchy behavior between the two. This bums me out though, because I would much rather live in a more walkable community, even with the tradeoffs. Unfortunately many Americans feel differently.