e-journal

More Than Just An Eyesore: Local Insights And Solutions on Vacant Land And Urban Health

---

Abstract : Vacant land is a significant economic problem for many cities, but also may affect the health and safety of residents. In order for community-based solutions to vacant land to be accepted by target populations, community members should be engaged in identifying local health impacts and generating solutions.We conducted 50 in-depth semistructured interviews with people living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a city with high vacancy, about the impact of vacant land on community and individual health and safety, as well as ideas for solutions to vacant land. Participants described a neighborhood physical environment dominated by decaying abandoned homes and overgrown vacant lots which affected community well-being, physical health, and mental health. Vacant land was thought to affect community well-being by overshadowing positive aspects of the community, contributing to fractures between neighbors, attracting crime, and making residents fearful.Vacant land was described as impacting physical health through injury, the buildup of trash, and attraction of rodents, as well as mental health through anxiety and stigma. Participants had several ideas for solutions to vacant land in their community,including transformation of vacant lots into small park spaces for the elderly and playgrounds for youth, and the use of abandoned homes for subsidized housing and homeless shelters. A few participants took pride in maintaining vacant lots on their block, and others expressed interest in performing maintenance but lacked the resources to do so. Public health researchers and practitioners, and urban planners should engage local residents in the design and implementation of vacant land strategies. Furthermore, municipalities should ensure that the health and safety impact of vacant land helps drive policy decisions around vacant land.

KEYWORDS Vacant land, Neighborhood conditions, Public health, Safety, Local perspective, Qualitative research, Urban blight, Urban renewal

---

Ketersediaan

Tidak ada salinan data

Informasi Detail

Judul Seri

Journal of Urban Health

No. Panggil

-

Penerbit

: The New York Academy of Medicine., 2012

Deskripsi Fisik

Journal of Urban Health, Jun2013, Vol. 90 Issue 3, p412-426, 15p

Bahasa

English

ISBN/ISSN

10993460

Klasifikasi

-

Tipe Isi

-

Tipe Media

-

Tipe Pembawa

-

Edisi

-

Subjek

Public health
Qualitative research
Urban renewal

Info Detail Spesifik

-

Pernyataan Tanggungjawab

Ety

Versi lain/terkait

Lampiran Berkas

Komentar

---

Anda harus masuk sebelum memberikan komentar