Contemporary Neighborhood Research Articles

Dr. Dorothy Fields Jenkins: Nurturing the Landscape of Black Miami Studies

While working as a librarian for Miami-Dade Public Schools, Dr. Dorothy Jenkins Fields wanted to diversify her school’s book collection in preparation for the 1976 American Bicentennial. She called the Miami-Dade County clerk to ask for books on the history of Black people in Miami. During an oral history interview, she recalled a white lady on the phone who said that there were none on the subject. When Fields asked her why, the woman said, “I guess these people haven’t thought enough of themselves to write their own history.” Fields remembers this response as a pivotal moment that changed her trajectory by instantaneously shifting her purpose. As a Black Miami native and historical preservationist, Dr. Fields’ oral history is interconnected with her tremendous labor to reimagine a rebirth of an early 20th century theater into the landscape of the contemporary neighborhood. Fields’ legacy has been solidified by her determination to answer a call to nurture Black Miami futures alongside yesterday. Through the use of oral histories, recorded by myself and others, this artistic profile commemorates her resilience in hearing the Reveille, and the unfolding journey that the song begets. Her leadership and institution building have bequeathed material and intangible inheritance for those who rooted in Black Miami.

Rethinking Urban Sustainability in the GCC: Translating Plans into Practices

This study uses morphological mapping to trace sustainable urban forms over six decades in sixty-five neighborhoods in seven Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) cities. The study examines the evolution of three dimensions—compactness, connectivity, and diversity. The aims are (1) to assess the extent to which sustainable forms have been implemented in neighborhood development and (2) to identify model neighborhoods that can guide sustainable neighborhood development. Findings indicate that pre-suburban developments are generally more sustainable than contemporary neighborhoods, although some modern neighborhoods incorporate sustainable elements. Effectively implementing policies requires striking a balance between physical ideals and consideration of social aspects.

Organized abandonment under racial capitalism: Measuring accountable actors of structural racism for public health research and action

Understanding the shifting nature of structural racism historically and across institutions is vital for effective action towards racial health equity. While public health research on structural racism is rapidly increasing, most studies are missing the interdependence of policies and institutional practices over time that shape power imbalances and lead to entrenched health inequities. Here, we discuss Ruth Wilson Gilmore's concept of organized abandonment — the intentional disinvestment in communities which, in turn, creates opportunities for extraction, revenue generation, and carceral enforcement to fill the cracks of a compromised social infrastructure — to encourage action-oriented public health research that is grounded in history and an understanding of racial capitalism. We present a case example using publicly-available data on redlining, gentrification and policing in Seattle, Washington. We mapped the intersections of redlining and gentrification and estimated their neighborhood-level association with police activity using Bayesian spatial Poisson regression models. We found that histories of racist housing policies like redlining and processes of gentrification are interdependent and shape contemporary neighborhood racial and economic segregation and police activity. Compared to structurally advantaged neighborhoods, police stops were higher in neighborhoods that were 1) historically disinvested (i.e. redlined) and remain low-income and structurally disadvantaged and 2) formerly industrial and business districts that were not redlined and are now gentrified. Notably, we found that policing practices were significantly more intensive in neighborhoods that were both high redlined and gentrified. Together, these findings illustrate how the place-based racialized processes of dispossession, displacement and policing are deeply intertwined to maintain racial capitalism. Our findings also highlight the importance of examining multiple racialized processes simultaneously to fill critical gaps in the existing literature that are necessary for sustainable solutions to address structural racism.

Abstract A101: Assessing contemporary cancer prevention infrastructure in neighborhoods of historical residential segregation to better understand patterns of breast cancer disparities

Abstract Background: Breast cancer disparities among minoritized women in the United States (U.S.) not only persist but continue to widen. Neighborhood attributes are established drivers of cancer disparities in the U.S. An emerging area of research centers on the associative relationship of historical processes of segregation, particularly redlining practices, on breast cancer disparities. However, these studies have not considered the differences in contemporary neighborhood attributes in historically segregated and non-segregated neighborhoods. This study focuses on 2019 neighborhood attributes that work together to better understand differences in physical environment access to breast cancer prevention lifestyle habits such as access to fresh produce, green spaces, and clinical sites for prevention screenings. Methods: Using ArcGIS Pro we created GIS maps of Tucson, Arizona capturing food environments, green spaces, public transportation, and Medicaid cancer screenings site. The current neighborhood attributes were then layered over historic neighborhoods identified from historical documents to determine differences in access to these resources for breast cancer prevention. We used U.S. Census data to map sociodemographic data to the Census tract neighborhood level. Findings: The GIS maps demonstrate the neighborhoods established by historical segregation have more food deserts, fewer green spaces, limited public transportation, and no Medicaid Well WomanCheck mammography screening sites were located in close proximity to the historically segregated neighborhoods. The historically non-segregated communities did not have similar levels of disinvestment and had a higher presence of resources for non-genetic cancer prevention lifestyle habits. Discussion: To our knowledge, this is the first study to compare contemporary neighborhood attributes based on the historical status of segregated and non-segregated to understand how this impacts access to cancer prevention resources that may contribute to breast cancer disparities experienced among historically marginalized communities. The historical legacy of segregation shapes contemporary geographies, structural social determinants of health, and the gaps in non-genetic cancer prevention resources influencing breast cancer disparities. To build health equity, local policymakers must implement policies to address remnants of historical segregation in these communities that still navigate the reverberations of these historical processes. Zoning laws should be considered as a key target for structural interventions to build equitable access to breast cancer prevention infrastructure in neighborhoods established by historical segregation. Citation Format: Celina I. Valencia, Francisco Mendoza. Assessing contemporary cancer prevention infrastructure in neighborhoods of historical residential segregation to better understand patterns of breast cancer disparities [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 16th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2023 Sep 29-Oct 2;Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2023;32(12 Suppl):Abstract nr A101.

Link among Governance, Investment, and Design in Creating Sustainable and Livable Residential Architecture in Germany, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina

Contemporary neighborhood livability differs across countries due to implementation of sustainable policies within the building sector. This paper aims to showcase these differences among Germany, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina through a comparative case study analysis of two contemporary housing developments from each country. Representative neighborhoods from the aforementioned countries that were selected for analysis were located in Munich, Rijeka, and Sarajevo. The residential environment livability analysis method was used in order to pinpoint and compare results of each of these cases, and to assess their livability. The highest number of livability criteria among analyzed cases were found in Munich, while the lowest were found in Sarajevo. The conclusion is that this is happening due to German authorities actually implementing sustainable building standards in housing development prescribed by sustainability policies, while the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina completely, and Croatian authorities partially, go around these policies and bend to the will of investors, regulating residential urban development to the detriment of end users.

Abstract P658: Redlining, Neighborhood Vulnerability, and Heart Failure Outcomes Among Patients in the Southeastern US

Introduction: Disparities in heart failure (HF) outcomes are due, in part, to social determinants of health. Structural racism is thought to be a fundamental cause of health disparities. A form of structural racism, redlining, was instituted in the 1930s to disinvest in neighborhoods with a high concentration of racial and ethnic minorities, leading to neighborhoods marred by crime, poverty, and disrepair. While studies have focused on how the contemporary neighborhood impacts health outcomes, few studies have examined how historical racist policies have shaped cardiovascular disease outcomes. Additionally, no studies have focused exclusively on the Southeastern region of the US where rates of cardiovascular disease and HF are among the highest in the country. This analysis examined the association between redlining and HF outcomes (e.g., 30-day readmission and mortality) among HF patients residing in Georgia. Hypothesis: Patients residing in “definitely declining” and “hazardous” neighborhoods will have a higher risk of both 30-day readmission and 30-day mortality compared to patients residing in “best” defined neighborhoods. Methods: Data are from a retrospective cohort of patients hospitalized for acute HF within Emory Healthcare from 2010 to 2018. Patient addresses were geocoded and linked to historically redlined neighborhoods at the census tract level using Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) maps which classified neighborhoods as: “best”, “still desirable”, “definitely declining”, or “hazardous/redlined”. Neighborhood deprivation was assessed at the census tract level using the Social Vulnerability Index. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate the relative risk of 30-day readmission and 30-day mortality across HOLC-graded neighborhoods adjusted for patient demographics, clinical and hospital characteristics, and neighborhood deprivation. Results: Within the full sample, redlining was not associated with either 30-day readmission (RR 0.90; 95% CI: 0.62, 1.31) or mortality (RR 1.32; 95% CI: 0.79, 2.20). Redlining was not associated with 30-day mortality among Black patients. However, residing in a historically redlined neighborhood appeared to be associated with a two-fold increased risk in 30-day readmission for Black patients although results were non-significant (RR 1.98; 95% CI: 0.52, 7.59). Conclusion: In conclusion, redlining was not associated with HF readmission or mortality across racial groups. Findings among Black patients suggest that redlining may be associated with adverse heart failure outcomes. Further research with larger samples is needed.

Inheriting the Grade: HOLC “Redlining” Maps and Contemporary Neighborhood Crime

Communities and crime research often invokes historical housing policies to explain vast disparities in crime. However, these assertions are rarely tested. Using lending security maps from the government-sponsored Home Owner’s Loan Corporation (HOLC), we examine the consequences for neighborhood crime of a notorious policy intervention in the housing market: the practice of “redlining” that discouraged investment in Black, non-White, and poor areas. The HOLC maps represent class and race biases embedded in the housing market and may have institutionalized the practice of redlining. Pairing data from the National Neighborhood Crime Study (Wave 2) with HOLC maps, we find neighborhoods with relatively poor HOLC grades inherited more violence and burglary some 70 years later. Furthermore, greater concentrations of contemporary neighborhood disadvantage, racial segregation, and housing instability largely explain these associations. Findings underscore the long shadow of historical interventions in the housing market for inequalities in the spatial distribution of crime today.

Historic Redlining Practices and Contemporary Determinants of Health in the Detroit Metropolitan Area.

Objectives. To examine how redlining, a historical racially discriminatory housing policy implemented by the Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC), is associated with current neighborhood determinants of health in the Detroit Metropolitan Area. Methods. We analyzed associations between census tract‒level HOLC color grades (red = "hazardous"; yellow = "declining"; blue = "desirable"; and green = "best") and a developed neighborhood determinants of health index (DOHI) consisting of 8 indicators of economic, social, governance, and physical environment characteristics using spatial regression analysis and controlling for change in the census tract's percentage of White residents. Results. A total of 484 Detroit Metropolitan Area census tracts had HOLC grades. The mean redlining score across all census tracts was 3.02 (min = 1.0; max = 4.0). The mean contemporary DOHI was 19.11 (min = 8.0; max = 36.0). Regression models show significantly higher DOHI scores in yellowlined (b = 2.71; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.52, 3.91), bluelined (b = 5.33; 95% CI = 3.65, 7.01), and greenlined (b = 9.25; 95% CI = 6.86, 11.64) neighborhoods compared with redlined neighborhoods. Conclusions. Historical redlined neighborhoods experience contemporary determinants of health conditions that are less conducive to health compared with those in nonredlined neighborhoods. These differences also reflect the accumulation of resources essential for health in greenlined neighborhoods. Public Health Implications. Neighborhood development initiatives should consider the impacts of historical redlining on contemporary neighborhood conditions. (Am J Public Health. 2023;113(S1): S49-S57. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.307162).

Abstract 9229: Childhood Opportunity Level Predicts Early and Late Outcomes Following Surgery for Congenital Heart Disease

Introduction: The multifaceted pathways through which a child’s environment impacts outcomes following congenital cardiac surgery remain incompletely characterized. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that childhood opportunity, measured using a US census-track-based, nationally-normed composite metric of contemporary neighborhood opportunity comprising 29 indicators across three domains (education, health or environment, and socioeconomic), would be a predictor of outcomes following congenital heart surgery. Methods: This was a single center, retrospective review of all patients who underwent congenital cardiac surgery from 01/2011-01/2020. Outcomes included pre-discharge (early) mortality, postoperative hospital length-of-stay (PHLOS), inpatient cost, post-discharge (late) mortality, and late unplanned reintervention. The primary predictor was child opportunity level (COL), categorized as very low, low, moderate, high, and very high. Associations were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression, generalized linear, Cox regression, or competing risk models. Results: Of 6133 patients, there were 124 (2.0%) early deaths, median PHLOS was 7 days (IQR 5-13 days), and median cost was $76,000 (IQR $50,000-$130,000). No significant association between COL and early mortality was noted (p=0.21). Children with very low and low COL had significantly longer hospitalizations and incurred higher costs compared to those with very high COL (all p<0.05). At up to 10.5 years of follow-up, very low COL patients had a significantly greater risk of late death (HR 1.7, 95% CI 1.1-2.6, p=0.030) and reintervention (SHR 1.9, 95% CI 1.5-2.3, p<0.001), versus those with very high COL ( Figure 1 ). Conclusions: Child opportunity is independently associated with outcomes following congenital heart surgery. Children from resource-limited settings thus constitute an especially high-risk cohort that warrants closer surveillance and tailored interventions.

Geographic Isolation, Compelled Mobility, and Everyday Exposure to Neighborhood Racial Composition Among Urban Youth.

Foundational urban social theories view heterogeneity of exposure to spatial and social contexts as essential aspects of the urban experience. In contrast, contemporary neighborhood research emphasizes the isolation of city dwellers - particularly residents of racially segregated neighborhoods. Using geospatial data on a sample of youth from the 2014-16 Columbus, OH-based Adolescent Health and Development in Context study, we explore the extent to which the neighborhood locations of everyday activities vary with respect to residential racial composition. In the context of segregated US metro areas, the geographic isolation approach expects home census tract racial composition to powerfully shape the racial composition of activity location neighborhoods. In this view, Black youth residing in high proportion Black neighborhoods are expected to spend the vast majority of their time exposed to similarly Black-concentrated neighborhoods. Consistent with an alternative compelled mobility approach, we find that Black youth residing in high proportion Black neighborhoods exhibit among the highest levels of heterogeneity in the racial composition of neighborhoods encountered. Moreover, Black youth residing in high proportion Black neighborhoods are expected to spend 39% of their non-home time (roughly 2.5 hours a day) in low proportion Black neighborhoods compared to 23% (1.5 hours) in high proportion Black neighborhoods. Exposures to low proportion Black neighborhoods among these youth are largely driven by organizationally-based resource seeking. These findings call into question the assumption that residence in Black segregated neighborhoods leads to homogeneously Black segregated neighborhood exposures and encourage theoretical development and data collection strategies that acknowledge the potential for significant heterogeneity in the everyday neighborhood experiences of urban youth.

Healthy Neighbourhood Elements for Sustainable Development and Social Well-Being: An Overview

Neighbourhood concept has long been discussed and implemented since 1920’s. Many contemporary neighbourhood concepts have been created and used such as green, sustainable, liveable, quality, new urbanism, safe, compact neighbourhood. The recent developments in the concept of neighbourhood are geared towards a healthy neighbourhood. Therefore, this paper conducts a thorough assessment of the literature in order to synthesise the current framework knowledge in terms of healthy neighbourhood purposes, elements, principles and also the framework and model used from previous research. A search was done from 1999 to the present to gather only applicable models or frameworks in general, with the inclusion criteria of no period, worldwide, and English language. There were 51 publications or journals identified with the keyword healthy neighbourhood, liveable neighbourhood, and sustainable neighbourhood. The purposes, elements, and principles of a healthy neighbourhood in relation to sustainable development and social well-being were screened in all titles and abstracts. Only 28 publications were found to be relevant and closed linked in creating the conceptual framework for this paper after the filtering procedure of all relevant key phrases. This paper utilised a snowball approach to collect the necessary papers after an extensive check on the key terms. Basically, the previous theoretical and modelling framework was related to sustainable development and social well-being. For the development of comprehensive conceptual framework for healthy neighbourhood, the researcher will use 3 elements and 8 principles. For the future, the conceptual framework will be used and tested for comprehensive healthy neighbourhood.

Association between historical redlining and neighborhood deprivation in North Carolina

Background and Aim In the late 1930s, the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation created maps that ranked neighborhoods considered high risk for mortgage lending; these ratings denied residents, usually racial, ethnic, and religious minorities, the opportunity to become homeowners and accumulate wealth. We explored whether historical designation as a redlined neighborhood predicted contemporary (2010) neighborhood-level deprivation in North Carolina (NC) cities (Asheville, Charlotte, Durham, Greensboro, Winston-Salem). Methods We examined 142 NC census tracts with historical redlining data. Because neighborhoods can be disadvantaged in many ways, a composite index representing poverty, occupation, housing, employment, and education was used for determining the relationship between neighborhood deprivation and having been previously redlined. To create the exposure, we overlayed a census tract shapefile layer on high-resolution digital maps of historical redlining, assigning a redlining rating of Best (N=15), Still Desirable (N=14), Declining (N=73), or Hazardous (N=40). The ratings were further combined to create exposure categories as follows: Best or Still Desirable (BSD, referent), Declining, Hazardous, and a combined redlined areas category that included both Declining and Hazardous (DH). Linear models estimated the associations between historical redlining ratings and contemporary neighborhood deprivation. Results Neighborhood deprivation scores ranged from -1.78 to 2.72, with a higher score indicating worse neighborhood deprivation. When comparing the combined redlined areas (DH) to BSD areas, we observed increasing neighborhood deprivation (1.34 increase in index score [95% CI: 1.01, 1.67]). We observed increasing neighborhood deprivation score when comparing Declining or Hazardous ratings individually to BSD areas (1.24 increase in score [95% CI: 0.93, 1.55]; 1.57 increase in score [95% CI: 1.15, 1.98], respectively). Conclusions Results suggest that redlined neighborhoods are associated with increased neighborhood deprivation 70 years later and may contribute to disparities in exposure to detrimental environments and associated effects on health and well-being. Keywords: Redlining, neighborhood deprivation, built environment

"Disruptive Behaviors among Students in University Neighbourhoods in Cameroon- A Theoretical Review"

Youths in university neighbourhoods behave differently from those who live elsewhere like at home with parents. This probably stemsfrom the more relative freedom they enjoy from parental and familial control and because of this freedom; they often take risks which other segments of the population can seldom take without concern for consequences. University neighbourhoods, seemingly provide lucrative grounds for behaviours that are inconsistent with the cultural and moral values of the environment or society in which young people live specifically university education. This implies that some aspects of disruptive behaviour practiced in university neighbourhoods in Cameroon like indecent dressing, keeping of late nights in bars and clubs, sexual activity, alcoholism, hooliganism, academic malpractices, financial fraud, gang competition, consumption of drugs even in public and within hostels,betting of money on games and organization of festive jamborees just to mention a few pose a threat to the discipline and moral development of the youths.These students are thus faced with a consequence probably behaviours which are often in contrast to the rules and regulations governing their studentship in the universities where they happen to be undergoing learning. This is assumed to be some form of disruptive behaviour which is examined herein under the lenses of some theories (Erikson-adolescence, Harris-group socialization, and Bandura-social learning). It is worth concluding that the contemporary neighbourhood settings and environment where most youth group together is certainly not the right milieu where they can be groomed to and nurtured to maturity intellectually, morally and responsibly.

Tradition-led regeneration of contemporary neighbourhoods’ spatial structures: A case study of Tehran City, Iran

Over the past decades, modernisation has been viewed by some as one of the greatest dangers to urban life, having altered neighbourhoods dramatically. The most significant problem is the destruction of traditional neighbourhoods. The authors propose that a viable solution to this problem is to regenerate the spatial structure of contemporary neighbourhoods using traditional styles and elements. The transition from traditional to modern society has created numerous styles and challenges in the Iranian urban landscape system; in particular, the city of Tehran is experiencing considerable changes in terms of visual appeal and connection to the environment. In this paper, the principles and models for traditional neighbourhoods in the city of Tehran were studied and grouped into three categories: form, function and meaning, as a guide to regenerate the spatial structure of contemporary neighbourhoods. Three neighbourhoods from different eras were selected: Oudlajan, Shahrara and Shahid Bagheri, from the Qajar period (1789–1925), the Pahlavi era (1925–79) and the modern era, respectively. Spatial models were extracted by analysing the traditional urban design of the city of Tehran in three time periods alongside patterns and principles used in the regeneration process. Following this, criteria and principles were proposed for tradition-led regeneration of the spatial structures of contemporary neighbourhoods by form (physical form system/urban landscape), function (land use system and activity/movement and access system) and meaning/perception (frameworks for public spaces).

A Comparative Semantic Study of Landmarks of Old and Contemporary Neighborhoods from Perspective of Islamic Notions and the Perspective of Citizens' Perception (A Case Study of Shotorban and Roshdiyeh Neighborhoods of Tabriz)

A Comparative Semantic Study of Landmarks of Old and Contemporary Neighborhoods from Perspective of Islamic Notions and the Perspective of Citizens' Perception (A Case Study of Shotorban and Roshdiyeh Neighborhoods of Tabriz)

The Contemporary Sustainable Neighbourhood: Cracow’s Wola Justowska district

The environment is the little "Homeland”, which is defined by a neighborhood consisting of people and structures. The neighborhood is extended in time and space. The city of Cracow was chosen as a case study here. The contemporary environment in the Wola Justowska district is presented in the last examples of buildings designed by the author. Those contemporary structures are compared with historical houses in Cracow, which belong to the author’s family since the 19th century. The author analyses the influences of the period of the 19th century Austrian occupation, of a construction boom between the two World Wars, and of the Communist ban on design and construction in Cracow. In the paper's final remarks, the author notes that the design process and processes of shaping the environment look similar in the past century and today and that a contemporary neighborhood is shaped more by a cultural process than by design. Designing, building and endurance of a building form is a process that is shaped by culture and at the same time shapes the culture itself.

Are Neighbors and Neighborhoods Still Important? Examining the Impact of Neighbors and Neighborhood Environments on Mothers’ Parenting Stress

The contemporary neighborhood literature discusses the complex relationships among neighborhood environments, social support, and parenting. Grounded in the Person-Process-Context-Time (PPCT) model, we examined how different sources of social support interact with Korean mothers’ perception of disorder in their neighborhoods, and if social support increases or decreases their parenting stress in rural and metropolitan areas. Using STATA 14.0, we conducted multiple regression modeling including tests for interaction effects. Our sample (from the 8th Wave PSKC) included 1,300 mothers of seven-year-old children who were transitioning to first grade. The results showed that for metropolitan mothers, support from neighbors was important. Interestingly, receiving social support from friends/colleagues could increase or reduce their parenting stress depending on the type of residential neighborhood. Both rural and metropolitan mothers who reported negative impressions of their neighborhood environment experienced more parenting stress. However, these relationships disappeared when controlling for the interactions between mothers’ perception of disorder in their neighborhood and social support. These findings suggest that the social support that mothers receive from neighbors, and friends/colleagues, in general, play an important role in relieving parenting stress when raising first graders. However, living in disorganized, unsafe, or stressful neighborhood environments may restrict mothers’ parenting choices due to anxiety and limited outdoor space, resulting in increased parenting stress. Therefore, careful consideration of neighborhood characteristics is required to develop community-based parenting support services as part of family-friendly policies to effectively reduce the burden of parenting school-aged children in Korea.

Landscape attributes explain salmonid ecological neighbourhoods across a complex river network

Abstract Defining population neighbourhood boundaries provides a critical spatial framework for understanding ecological processes and informing species‐specific conservation and restoration planning. The population neighbourhood boundary demarcates the total quantity of available habitat across life stages where specific ecological processes (e.g., breeding, foraging, migration) occur for all individuals within a population. For mobile species within dendritic freshwater networks, the population neighbourhood boundary can be defined by the upper limit of occurrence (ULO) of an individual within a population. We sought to define contemporary neighbourhood boundaries across a complex river network in southwestern Washington State, U.S.A. by: (1) identifying ULOs for three anadromous fish (Oncorhynchus spp.); and (2) quantifying the relationship of the ULO with landscape attributes and local features for these species of profound social and ecological importance. Extensive field surveys covering 669 river km across 2 years documented the ULOs for coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), and chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) as well as any local features, such as natural barriers, that influenced the ULOs. Generalised linear mixed models quantified the relationships between the ULOs and landscape attributes derived from remote sensing data. We identified the ULO for 115 coho salmon terminal streams, 97 steelhead streams, and 57 chum salmon streams. Natural barriers determined the ULO in just 5%–16% of the terminal streams, depending on species. Landscape attributes associated with the ULOs varied among species; however, drainage area, elevation, and geology were important landscape predictors for all species. Models for each species had good to excellent predictive performance (percent correct classification: 78%–89%; AUC: 0.87–0.96). We demonstrated that large‐scale landscape attributes can accurately and consistently detect species‐specific differences in population neighbourhoods across broad and diverse habitats. In comparison, local scale features (e.g., natural barriers) played a minor role in determining the neighbourhood boundaries in our study catchment. The modelled relationships between landscape attributes and the population neighbourhood provide a framework to guide conservation planning and predict benefits of habitat reconnections.

Evolution of Urban Patterns: Urban Morphology as an Open Reproducible Data Science

The recent growth of geographic data science (GDS) fuelled by increasingly available open data and open source tools has influenced urban sciences across a multitude of fields. Yet there is limited application in urban morphology—a science of urban form. Although quantitative approaches to morphological research are finding momentum, existing tools for such analyses have limited scope and are predominantly implemented as plug‐ins for standalone geographic information system software. This inherently restricts transparency and reproducibility of research. Simultaneously, the Python ecosystem for GDS is maturing to the point of fully supporting highly specialized morphological analysis. In this paper, we use the open source Python ecosystem in a workflow to illustrate its capabilities in a case study assessing the evolution of urban patterns over six historical periods on a sample of 42 locations. Results show a trajectory of change in the scale and structure of urban form from pre‐industrial development to contemporary neighborhoods, with a peak of highest deviation during the post‐World War II era of modernism, confirming previous findings. The wholly reproducible method is encapsulated in computational notebooks, illustrating how modern GDS can be applied to urban morphology research to promote open, collaborative, and transparent science, independent of proprietary or otherwise limited software.

Neighborhood Economic Change in an Era of Metropolitan Divergence

This study foregrounds the metropolitan area as a key driver of contemporary neighborhood economic change. The recent “Great Divergence” in metros’ economic, social, and political conditions suggests metros increasingly stratify neighborhood trajectories. Yet, many studies only consider neighborhood-level predictors of change or implicate metro-level factors more applicable to the twentieth century (e.g., manufacturing exposure) than the twenty-first. To clarify the metro's contemporary role, this study synthesizes multiple literatures, deriving novel hypotheses that link metropolitan skill agglomeration and income segregation to neighborhood economic change, and then tests them using multilevel models and data drawn from multiple sources, including the census, Opportunity Insights, and National Transit Database. Analyses, based on all neighborhoods within 325 metros between 2000 and the mid-2010s, suggest over 10% of the variance in neighborhood median income change resides between, rather than within, metros. As predicted, metro skill agglomeration dynamics appear to boost neighborhoods’ median incomes, and metro income segregation depresses them. Results remain intact after accounting for state fixed effects and controls for five plausible alternative explanations of metro effects. Overall, the study provides a theoretical and empirical foundation for future neighborhood change research highlighting the metro in general, and two higher order spatial processes—income segregation and skill agglomeration—in particular.