Associations Between Existing and Re-Greened Vacant Urban Properties and Public Health Across City Types

Abstract

Recently researchers in the field of public health have realized that a person's living environment can sometimes be more predictive for public health circumstances than their genetic code. As one of the often undesirable and low-quality urban environmental elements, vacant properties (vacant housing and vacant land) can operate as pollution sources or stressors to negatively influence public health by spreading pollutants, send visual cues of highly disordered and violent atmospheres to residents, and reduce people’s abilities to perform physical activities. However, few studies have explored relationships between different vacant property characteristics (such as vegetation coverage, size, duration, and location) and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), nor have they compared these relationships across city types (populating vs. depopulating). Moreover, research assessing the potential positive health impacts of vacant regeneration is also rare. To fill these gaps, three studies were conducted. The first article uses a Multiscale Geographically Weighted Regression (MGWR) model to assess the national-level non-stationary relationships long-term vacant housing on NCDs in growing, shrinking, and fluctuating counties, providing a foundation for understanding the overall scope of the problem. It finds that longer-term vacant housing primarily affects shrinking counties with high housing vacancy rates. The magnitude of the association between longer-term vacant housing and mental health, physical health, diabetes, and high cholesterol varies widely by county type. The second article builds upon this foundation by exploring the relationships between different vacant land characteristics and NCDs in St. Louis, MO (shrinking city) and Los Angeles, CA (growing city). This comparative analysis highlights the association between vacancy rate, duration, location, and NCDs which differs significantly between city types. Finally, the third article extends the research by projecting the potential benefits of a vacant regreening (VLRG) strategy on public health in St. Louis, MO. By reducing stormwater runoff and non-point source pollutants, VLRG offers a sustainable solution that positively impacts both the environment and human well-being. The findings from these interconnected studies contribute to our understanding of the complex relationship between vacant properties and public health, offering valuable insights for targeted interventions and urban planning strategies to enhance public well-being in diverse urban landscapes.