Mapping Urban Revitalization: Using GIS Spatial Analysis to Evaluate a New Housing Policy

This longitudinal, multimethod study uses geographical informa-tion system (GIS) software to evaluate the community-wide impact of a neighborhood revitalization project. Unsystematic visual examination and analysis of GIS maps are offered as a comple-mentary tool to quantitative analysis and one that is much more compelling, meaningful, and effective in presentation to commu-nity and nonscientific professional audiences. The centerpiece of the intervention was the development of a new, middle-class housing subdivision in an area that was declining physically and economically. This represents three major urban=housing policy directions: (1) the emphasis on home ownership for work-ing-class families, (2) the deconcentration of poverty through development of mixed-income neighborhoods, and (3) the clean We thank the anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments. A version of this paper, including multi-level quantitative analyses, was presented under the title, ‘‘Psychological pre-dictors of neighborhood revitalization: A longitudinal and multi-level analysis,’ ’ September