Can Good Design Change A Community?

I've been wondering if it is possible to change a community through design alone.

Imagine small town USA, not ripe with development, or even an economically depressed area with high drug, crime, and unemployment rates. There are issues with kids dropping out of school, vandalism, theft. People dream of getting out. There isn't much of a sense of pride shared by the community. Sound like anywhere you know of?

Is it possible to make these people feel differently about their community through the addition of strategically placed, well-designed, sustainable homes and buildings?

Can you lower drug, crime, and unemployment rates?

Can you instill a sense of pride that transcends the immediate buildings and into the community?

I had a conversation with my professor about this and I'm going to make this the core of my semester thesis. I think the answer is Yes, and that this will be very exciting to study and experiment with. This idea must be proven true for sustainable design to catch on to be more than a niche market. Sustainable design means so much more than being green or efficient, it should improve how people feel and interact with their environment and with each other. It may sound like an idealistic hippie trip, but I think this can be proven and argued. I'll be gathering the data and be posting what I find.