Study finds that neighborhood organizations are strong predictors of social capital

August 24, 2010 at 11:08 am | Posted in amenities, grocery stores, neighborhoods, social organization, social service agencies, supermarkets, what to read | Leave a comment

In a new study published in the Journal of Urban Affairs, Alexandra Curley studies social capital levels among participants in a Boston housing relocation program.  From the abstract: “This article examines the social capital available to low-income households which were relocated to different types of neighborhoods with the HOPE VI program, an initiative aimed at redeveloping U.S. public housing developments into mixed-income communities. Along with improving the living environment, HOPE VI is thought to improve residents’ access to social capital by changing the economic mix of their neighborhoods. This article contributes evidence from multivariate analyses of survey data of Boston HOPE VI residents in their post-HOPE VI neighborhoods. Findings indicate that rather than neighborhood socioeconomic mix, neighborhood resources, such as libraries, recreation facilities, parks, grocery stores, and social services, followed by place attachment and feelings of safety,were the strongest predictors of social capital….”

Joe Galaskiewicz receives NSF funding to study Phoenix organizations and their impact on the urban community

May 21, 2009 at 7:34 pm | Posted in amenities, barbershops, beauty salons, churches, grocery stores, neighborhoods, news, non-profits, organizational density, organizational networks, social service agencies, supermarkets | Leave a comment

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Joe Galaskiewicz at the University of Arizona recently received $162,274 from
the National Science Foundation to fund his project, “Organizations and their
Impact on the Urban Community.” This funding helps Joe continue his research on
the distribution of organizational resources across the Phoenix metropolitan
area, their effect on what children do in the free time on the weekends, and
how organizations migrate across the metropolitan community in response to
demographic shifts, changes in zoning laws, and competition among
organizational providers. The research looks at a broad range of
establishments that serve community residents including parks, recreation
centers, churches, retail outlets, restaurants, bowling and fitness centers,
barber shops, department stores, malls, theatres, and many, many more local
establishments. For some of Joe’s preliminary results, go to:

http://www.childresearch.net/RESOURCE/RESEARCH/2007/GALASKIEWICZ.HTM

New paper: Availability of healthy foods may decrease hypertension

March 28, 2009 at 8:28 am | Posted in amenities, food deserts, grocery stores, health, hypertension, neighborhoods, supermarkets | Leave a comment

“Neighborhood Characteristics and Hypertension,” authored by Mahasin Mujahid and others, was recently published in Epidemiology. From the abstract: The goal of this study was to investigate cross-sectional associations between features of neighborhoods and hypertension and to examine the sensitivity of results to various methods of estimating neighborhood conditions. We used data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis on 2612 individuals 45-85 years of age…. Neighborhood (census tract) conditions potentially related to hypertension (walking environment, availability of healthy foods, safety, social cohesion) were measured using information from a separate phone survey conducted in the study neighborhoods…. Residents of neighborhoods with better walkability, availability of healthy foods, greater safety, and more social cohesion were less likely to be hypertensive.

Study finds Chicago low-income black neighborhoods lack supermarkets

November 13, 2008 at 10:00 pm | Posted in amenities, food deserts, neighborhoods, organizational density, supermarkets, what to read | Leave a comment

Daniel Block, Noel Chavez, and Judy Birgen find that low-income black neighborhoods in Chicago cities and suburbs have lower access to supermarkets than other neighborhoods.  Their work adds to a growing literature on “food deserts,” neighborhoods with a scarcity of supermarkets and other suppliers of fresh or healthful foods.  For the report, click here.

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