Changes In Neighborhood Characteristics Research Articles

Moving to shared equity: locational outcomes for households in shared equity homeownership programs

The impact of U.S. housing policy on household locational outcomes has primarily been studied in the context of rental housing assistance programs, but the impact of alternative homeownership models is less fully explored. In this study, we assess residential trajectories for households that have participated in shared-equity homeownership (SEH) programs such as Community Land Trusts and Limited Equity Housing Cooperatives. We examine changes in neighborhood characteristics that occur when households enter and exit SEH units, and compare those outcomes with similar households that entered traditional homeownership or continued to rent. We find that while entering SEH is associated with decreases in neighborhood opportunity measures, exiting SEH is associated with improvements in key measures including lower concentrations of poverty. We conclude that while entering SEH may entail moving to lower-opportunity neighborhoods, participation in SEH programs increases the long-term economic and socio-spatial mobility of participating households by enabling them to access a broader array of neighborhood contexts in their subsequent move.

Craft Breweries and Neighborhood Crime: Are They Related?

In their search for inexpensive real estate, many craft breweries have located in economically distressed neighborhoods. In many cases, breweries have contributed to the revitalization of neighborhoods. However, as a business that serves alcohol, some jurisdictions are concerned with potential negative externalities associated with craft breweries. One concern is a possible increase in crime. Using Portland as a case study, our purpose in this paper is to quantitatively assess changes in crime levels after the opening of a craft brewery. Using detailed data on calls for service to the Portland Police Bureau and brewery locations with their opening dates, we estimate the relationship between brewery openings and crime between 2012 and 2018. We control for brewery specific attributes, city-wide trends, and changes in neighborhood characteristics that may also affect crime levels. Our findings suggest that there is no significant change in crime around craft brewery locations post opening. However, the findings do provide guidance as to under which conditions brewery locations may be associated with relatively less or more crime. While breweries located in residential, industrial, or employment zones tend to be associated with less crime, breweries located in clusters in commercial zones tend to experience more crime.

A Longitudinal Study Examining Changes in Street Connectivity, Land Use, and Density of Dwellings and Walking for Transport in Brisbane, Australia.

Background:Societies face the challenge of keeping people active as they age. Walkable neighborhoods have been associated with physical activity, but more rigorous analytical approaches are needed.Objectives:We used longitudinal data from adult residents of Brisbane, Australia (40–65 years of age at baseline) to estimate effects of changes in neighborhood characteristics over a 6-y period on the likelihood of walking for transport.Methods:Analyses included 2,789–9,747 How Areas Influence Health and Activity (HABITAT) cohort participants from 200 neighborhoods at baseline (2007) who completed up to three follow-up questionnaires (through 2013). Principal components analysis was used to derive a proxy measure of walkability preference. Environmental predictors were changes in street connectivity, residential density, and land use mix within a one-kilometer network buffer. Associations with any walking and minutes of walking were estimated using logistic and linear regression, including random effects models adjusted for time-varying confounders and a measure of walkability preference, and fixed effects models of changes in individuals to eliminate confounding by time-invariant characteristics.Results:Any walking for transport (vs. none) was increased in association with an increase in street connectivity ( intersections, fixed effects ; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.07, 1.32), residential density ( dwellings/hectare, ; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.15), and land-use mix (10% increase, ; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.26). Associations with minutes of walking were positive based on random effects models, but null for fixed effects models. The association between land-use mix and any walking appeared to be limited to participants in the highest tertile of increased street connectivity (fixed effects ; 95% CI: 0.99, 1.35 for a 1-unit increase in land-use mix; interaction ).Conclusions:Increases in street connectivity, residential density, and land-use heterogeneity were associated with walking for transport among middle-age residents of Brisbane, Australia. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP2080

Abstract P319: Changes in Perceptions of Neighborhood Environment and Cardiometabolic Outcomes in Two Predominantly African American Neighborhoods

Introduction: Perceived neighborhood characteristics, including neighborhood satisfaction, are associated with lower obesity rates and more favorable cardiovascular risk factor profiles. However, prior studies have not evaluated how longitudinal changes in perceived neighborhood characteristics following revitalization efforts may associate with cardiometabolic health indicators. Methods: Changes in neighborhood perception scales (infrastructure, safety, aesthetics, and satisfaction) were determined from 2013-2016 and categorized into the following groups: improvement, no change, or worsening over the time-period. Multivariate linear regression was used to measure the association between perceived improvement in each of the neighborhood characteristics with cardiometabolic outcomes (BMI, SBP, HbA1c, HDL-c) assessed in 2016. Outcomes were compared for those who perceived neighborhood improvements to those who perceived no change/worsening of neighborhood characteristics. Models were adjusted for age, sex, income, education, marital status, physical function, neighborhood, years spent in neighborhood. Interaction terms for age and sex were tested in the adjusted models. Results: Among the 622 individuals who did not move during the time-period, 93% were African American, 80% were female, and the mean age was 58 years. Many participants reported some improvements in neighborhood environment; infrastructure (48% reporting improvements), safety (47%), aesthetics (46%) and satisfaction (28%). In covariate-adjusted models, those who perceived improvement in their neighborhood aesthetics over the follow-up period had a significantly higher BMI (kg/m 2 ) than those who perceived no improvement/worsening (β=1.2, p=0.05). Similarly, perceived improvements in neighborhood safety were associated with higher BMI (β=1.5, p=0.01); however, they were also significantly associated with lower SBP (mmHg) (β=-3.8, p=0.01). A significant interaction was observed between sex and perceived improvement in safety when predicting BMI (interaction term p=0.04), such that the relationship between perceived improvements in safety and higher BMI was observed only among women (β=2.3, p=0.02). We did not observe any statistically significant interactions by age. We also did not find significant associations between changes in neighborhood characteristics and HDL-c or HbA1c. Conclusions: These findings suggest that perceived neighborhood characteristics may have differing associations with multiple cardiometabolic outcomes (BMI, SBP). This highlights the complexity of the associations between neighborhood characteristics and health as well as the importance of considering how changes in perceived neighborhood characteristics associate with multiple clinically relevant cardiometabolic risk factors, and how associations may be sex dependent.

How Does Light Rail Transit (LRT) Impact Gentrification? Evidence from Fourteen US Urbanized Areas

This study examines the relationship between light rail transit (LRT) stations and changes in neighborhood characteristics associated with gentrification using spatial regression analyses with longitudinal data across 14 US urbanized areas (UAs). Overall, we do not find evidence of prevalent gentrification in LRT station areas. An analysis of UA-specific impacts shows heterogeneous outcomes across different UAs, particularly: strong transit-oriented development (TOD) effects accompanied by gentrification in San Francisco and TOD with countergentrification in Portland. Our results highlight that different local and regional planning efforts can lead to different types of changes in transit station neighborhoods.

Neighborhood Physical Environment and Changes in Body Mass Index: Results From the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Longitudinal associations between neighborhood characteristics and body mass index (BMI; weight (kg)/height (m)2) were assessed from 2000 to 2011 among 5,919 participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. The perceived availability of healthy food and walking environment were assessed via surveys, and 1-mile (1.6-km) densities of supermarkets, fruit-and-vegetable stores, and recreational facilities were obtained through a commercial database. Econometric fixed-effects models were used to estimate the association between within-person changes in neighborhood characteristics and within-person change in BMI. In fully adjusted models, a 1-standard-deviation increase in the healthy food environment index was associated with a 0.16-kg/m2 decrease in BMI (95% confidence interval (CI): -0.27, -0.06) among participants with obesity at baseline. A 1-standard-deviation increase in the physical activity environment index was associated with 0.13-kg/m2 (95% CI: -0.24, -0.02) and 0.14-kg/m2 (95% CI: -0.27, -0.01) decreases in BMI for participants who were overweight and obese at baseline, respectively. Paradoxically, increases in the physical activity index were associated with BMI increases in persons who were normal-weight at baseline. This study provides preliminary longitudinal evidence that favorable changes in neighborhood physical environments are related to BMI reductions in obese persons, who comprise a substantial proportion of the US population.

Ethnicity in an Immigrant Gateway City: The Asian Condition in Houston

ABSTRACT:The analysis explores the evolving condition of Houston’s Chinese community into the early 21st century and its uncertain role within the local economy. Through a historical analysis, it examines Chinese immigration into Houston and the evolving and changing spatial settlements of Chinese immigrants in the city, showing the precarious nature of Houston Chinese neighborhoods. A quantitative analysis then examines whether disparities in economic prosperity are evident between Asian and White growth neighborhoods within Harris County between 1980 and 2000, when ethnic diversity was viewed as an important element of Houston’s new economic development strategy. A principal components analysis (PCA) and a k-means clustering technique are conducted on census tract data to identify neighborhood types and to analyze changes in neighborhood characteristics. The quantitative analysis reveals that the city’s promotion and celebration of ethnic diversity, and the extensive investment by Houston’s Asians into their neighborhoods, did not translate into improving economic prospects for Asian neighborhoods within Houston.

Social cohesion and belonging predict the well-being of community-dwelling older people

BackgroundThe neighborhood social environment has been identified as an important aspect of older people’s well-being. Poor neighborhood conditions can pose difficulties in obtaining support, especially for older people who live alone. Although social environments have been found to be related to well-being among older people, the longitudinal relationship between the social environment and well-being remains poorly undestood. Research on the effects of changes in neighborhood characteristics, such as social cohesion and social belonging, on well-being is lacking. Therefore, the study aims are (i) describe social cohesion, social belonging, and instrumental goals to achieve well-being among community-dwelling older people, (ii) determine whether these factors varied according to neighborhood social deprivation and compare these findings to those from chronically ill/previously hospitalized older people, and (iii) identify longitudinal relationships between social cohesion and belonging and well-being.MethodsIndependently living Dutch older adults (aged ≥ 70 years) were asked to complete questionnaires in 2011 (T0) and 2013 (T1). Response rates at T0 and T1 were 66% (945/1440) and 62% (588/945), respectively. Descriptive statistics, paired sample t-tests, analysis of variance, univariate analyses and multilevel regression analyses controlling for background characteristics and baseline well-being were performed.ResultsOf 945 respondents [43% male; mean age, 77.5 ± 5.8 (range, 70–101) years], 34.7% were married and 83.3% were Dutch natives. Social cohesion remained constant over time, whereas social belonging improved (p ≤ 0.05). Older people living in socially deprived neighborhoods report poorer overall well-being and instrumental goals to achieve well-being. Baseline social cohesion, changes therein (both p ≤ .001), baseline social belonging, and changes therein (both p ≤ .05) predicted well-being at T1.ConclusionThis study showed that social cohesion, belonging, and changes therein predict the social as well as physical well-being of community-dwelling older people in the Netherlands over time. The creation of stronger ties among neighbors and a sense of belonging is needed.

Changes in neighborhood characteristics and depression among sexual minority young adults.

Using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, this study examined the relationship between changes in neighborhood characteristics during the transition from adolescence to young adulthood and depression among sexual minority young adults. Previous research has found that neighborhood characteristics influence sexual minority mental health and that sexual minorities are more likely to move to more urban and politically liberal locations. No study to date, however, has examined the impact of changes in neighborhood characteristics on sexual minority depression. The results from this study show that decreases in the percent urban was associated with increased risk of depression and decreases in the percent Republican voters in sexual minority's neighborhood was associated with decreases in risk of depression. The results suggest that clinicians may want to screen sexual minority youth for recent changes in their neighborhoods to assess if these changes may be related to the onset or exacerbation of depressive episodes.

Atlanta's Last Demolitions and Relocations: The Relationship Between Neighborhood Characteristics and Resident Satisfaction

Using data from an Atlanta-based longitudinal study following 311 public housing residents relocated between 2009 and 2010 as the city's housing authority demolished its remaining public housing, the purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between changes in relocated residents' satisfaction with home and neighborhood and the socioeconomic, racial composition, and crime characteristics of their destination neighborhood. Consistent with previous research, we find that residents moved to somewhat safer neighborhoods with less poverty than those of the public housing. In addition, we find that residents view their new homes and neighborhoods as improvements over public housing. However, subjective pre- to postmove changes in satisfaction are not driven by changes in neighborhood characteristics (i.e., reductions in poverty and crime), but rather by decreases in perceived social disorder and increases in community attachment. Thus, our findings challenge some of the assumptions of poverty deconcentration. Policy implications are discussed.

Neighborhood Built Environment and Transport and Leisure Physical Activity: Findings Using Objective Exposure and Outcome Measures in New Zealand

Background: Evidence of associations between neighborhood built environments and transport-related physical activity (PA) is accumulating, but few studies have investigated associations with leisure-time PA.Objective: We investigated associations of five objectively measured characteristics of the neighborhood built environment—destination access, street connectivity, dwelling density, land-use mix and streetscape quality—with residents’ self-reported PA (transport, leisure, and walking) and accelerometer-derived measures of PA.Methods: Using a multicity stratified cluster sampling design, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of 2,033 adults who lived in 48 New Zealand neighborhoods. Multilevel regression modeling, which was adjusted for individual-level (sociodemographic and neighborhood preference) and neighborhood-level (deprivation) confounders, was used to estimate associations of built environment with PA.Results: We found that 1-SD increases in destination access, street connectivity, and dwelling density were associated with any versus no self-reported transport, leisure, or walking PA, with increased odds ranging from 21% [street connectivity with leisure PA, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0%, 47%] to 44% (destination accessibility with walking, 95% CI: 17%, 79%). Among participants who self-reported some PA, a 1-SD increase in street connectivity was associated with a 13% increase in leisure PA (95% CI: 0, 28%). SD increases in destination access, street connectivity, and dwelling density were each associated with 7% increases in accelerometer counts.Conclusions: Associations of neighborhood destination access, street connectivity, and dwelling density with self-reported and objectively measured PA were moderately strong, indicating the potential to increase PA through changes in neighborhood characteristics.

Hazardous Waste Cleanup, Neighborhood Gentrification, and Environmental Justice: Evidence from Restricted Access Census Block Data

We test for residential sorting and changes in neighborhood characteristics in response to the cleanup of hazardous waste sites using restricted access fine-geographical-resolution block data. We examine changes between 1990 and 2000 in blocks within 5km of sites that are proposed to the National Priority List that fall in a narrow interval of Hazardous Ranking Scores, comparing blocks near sites that were cleaned with those near sites that were not. Cleanup leads to increases in population density and housing unit density; increases in mean household income and shares of college-educated; but also to increases in the shares of minorities.

Do changes in neighborhood characteristics lead to changes in travel behavior? A structural equations modeling approach

Suburban sprawl has been widely criticized for its contribution to auto dependence. Numerous studies have found that residents in suburban neighborhoods drive more and walk less than their counterparts in traditional environments. However, most studies confirm only an association between the built environment and travel behavior, and have yet to establish the predominant underlying causal link: whether neighborhood design independently influences travel behavior or whether preferences for travel options affect residential choice. That is, residential self-selection may be at work. A few studies have recently addressed the influence of self-selection. However, our understanding of the causality issue is still immature. To address this issue, this study took into account individuals’ self-selection by employing a quasi-longitudinal design and by controlling for residential preferences and travel attitudes. In particular, using data collected from 547 movers currently living in four traditional neighborhoods and four suburban neighborhoods in Northern California, we developed a structural equations model to investigate the relationships among changes in the built environment, changes in auto ownership, and changes in travel behavior. The results provide some encouragement that land-use policies designed to put residents closer to destinations and provide them with alternative transportation options will actually lead to less driving and more walking.