Neighborhood quality

The hypothesis tested in this study is that neighborhoods with multiple technological and behavioral hazards have lower-quality ratings than do neighborhoods with a single massive technological hazard. More than 280 households were surveyed in a heavily industrialized eight-square-kilometer area southwest of Philadelphia. Respondents who gave a low rating to the area listed multiple hazards, especially crime, as distressing characteristics. Respondents who characterized the area as excellent or good rated their previous neighborhood as poor. Geographical theory should explain how different populations perceive behavioral, technological, and natural hazards at the neighborhood scale. -Authors