Skip to main content
Duke University Libraries
DukeSpace Scholarship by Duke Authors
  • Login
  • Ask
  • Menu
  • Login
  • Ask a Librarian
  • Search & Find
  • Using the Library
  • Research Support
  • Course Support
  • Libraries
  • About
View Item 
  •   DukeSpace
  • Theses and Dissertations
  • Nicholas School of the Environment
  • View Item
  •   DukeSpace
  • Theses and Dissertations
  • Nicholas School of the Environment
  • View Item
JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

Community assessment project: understanding the built environment within a neighborhood health context

Thumbnail
View / Download
3.7 Mb
Date
2009-04-24
Author
Kroeger, Gretchen
Advisors
Miranda, Marie Lynn
Reiter, Jerome
Repository Usage Stats
339
views
942
downloads
Abstract
Purpose: Research shows evidence of associations between the built environment (BE)—housing, commercial buildings, community resources, and infrastructure—and health outcomes. However, there is less research describing the spatial variation of BE conditions. This master’s project demonstrates the impact of this variation with a database describing the BE within a neighborhood health context. Hypothesis: The hypothesis tested is two-fold: 1) the assessment tool enables the quantification of BE conditions, and 2) the data generated offer a comprehensive index for relating the BE to public health. Methods: Trained assessors canvassed over 17,000 tax parcels in Central Durham, NC using a standardized visual assessment of 40 distinct BE variables. Data were summed into 8 indices—housing damage, property damage, security level, tenure, vacancy, crime incidents, amenities, and nuisances. Census blocks were assigned an index based on the summary score of primarily and secondarily adjacent blocks. Results: The indices describe the spatial distribution of both community assets and BE conditions that are likely to affect the health of residents. Housing damage, property damage, security level, vacancy, crime incidents, and nuisances all contained higher scores for blocks located in areas characterized by high minority and low socioeconomic status. Similarly, a low tenure score described those same blocks, indicating that the majority of residential properties within those blocks are renter-occupied. Conclusions: The community assessment tool offers a comprehensive inventory of the BE, facilitating the generation of indices measuring neighborhood health. These resulting data are useful to community members, researchers, and government leaders.
Type
Master's project
Department
Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences
Subject
Built environment
Community Health
Geographic Information Systems
Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/1043
Citation
Kroeger, Gretchen (2009). Community assessment project: understanding the built environment within a neighborhood health context. Master's project, Duke University. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/1043.
Collections
  • Nicholas School of the Environment
More Info
Show full item record
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Rights for Collection: Nicholas School of the Environment


Works are deposited here by their authors, and represent their research and opinions, not that of Duke University. Some materials and descriptions may include offensive content. More info

Make Your Work Available Here

How to Deposit

Browse

All of DukeSpaceCommunities & CollectionsAuthorsTitlesTypesBy Issue DateDepartmentsAffiliations of Duke Author(s)SubjectsBy Submit DateThis CollectionAuthorsTitlesTypesBy Issue DateDepartmentsAffiliations of Duke Author(s)SubjectsBy Submit Date

My Account

LoginRegister

Statistics

View Usage Statistics
Duke University Libraries

Contact Us

411 Chapel Drive
Durham, NC 27708
(919) 660-5870
Perkins Library Service Desk

Digital Repositories at Duke

  • Report a problem with the repositories
  • About digital repositories at Duke
  • Accessibility Policy
  • Deaccession and DMCA Takedown Policy

TwitterFacebookYouTubeFlickrInstagramBlogs

Sign Up for Our Newsletter
  • Re-use & Attribution / Privacy
  • Harmful Language Statement
  • Support the Libraries
Duke University