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Neighborhood Change and Reinvestment in Cuyahoga County, Ohio

Airgood-Obrycki, Whitney
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1491844239486759

Abstract Details

2017, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, City and Regional Planning.
Suburban neighborhoods in the United States are diverse and continually evolving. While some suburbs are exhibiting symptoms of decline, others have experienced substantial reinvestment activity. Urban theories suggest there is a relationship between decline and reinvestment, but suburban scholarship has generally considered these processes separately. This dissertation examines the relationship between decline and reinvestment in urban and suburban neighborhoods, assessing the applicability of urban theories and the potentially unique context of suburban space. The research consisted of three studies in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Each study included urban and suburban neighborhoods to allow for comparison between the two types. The first study explored the geography of neighborhood change throughout the county from 1970 to 2010. I used principal component analysis and k-means cluster analysis to identify changes in relative neighborhood status in each decade and categorize neighborhood trajectories. The second study examined how patterns of neighborhood change from 1970 to 2000 impacted a subsequent period of reinvestment from 2000 to 2010. For this study, I used permit data from city and older suburban neighborhoods to describe the types and locations of reinvestment activities that occurred during the study period. To test the relationship between neighborhood trajectories and the percentage of a neighborhood that receives reinvestment, I conducted an analysis of variance. The final study considered reinvestment at the parcel scale. I used logistic regression models to identify the housing stock, neighborhood, school district, and jurisdictional attributes that increase the likelihood of reinvestment. The studies yielded several findings. Postwar suburban neighborhoods experienced the greatest frequency of decline during the study period. However, suburban neighborhoods maintained a relative advantage over urban neighborhoods in every decade. Reinvestment across both urban and suburban neighborhood types typically consisted of maintenance activities. Roof repairs, window replacement, and mechanical upgrading were the most common activities. Reinvestment was concentrated in the urban downtown core, in postwar suburban neighborhoods to the south of Cleveland, and in prewar neighborhoods east of the city. In the city, there was not a significantly different amount of reinvestment between neighborhood trajectory types. Declining suburban neighborhoods have received less reinvestment on average than stable or improving suburban neighborhoods. The logistic regression models showed that prewar frame houses had the greatest likelihood of reinvestment. Neighborhood reinvestment activity was also a significant variable in predicting whether a parcel would receive reinvestment. The neighborhood change indicators varied between houses in the city and suburbs, but changes in demographics were significant in both places. The findings have several implications for planning practice and for the building of urban and suburban theory. The geographies of decline and reinvestment suggest that regional planning initiatives are crucial for addressing neighborhood spillovers across jurisdictions. Planners should consider the impact of private, incremental housing reinvestment on neighborhood character, affordability, and inclusion. Planning incentives may be best targeted to declining neighborhoods. The findings suggest a need for theory that connects the urban and suburban, simultaneously recognizing the commonality of processes and differences in attributes of both spaces.
Bernadette Hanlon (Advisor)
Rachel Kleit (Committee Member)
Jason Reece (Committee Member)
205 p.
Urban Planning
Cuyahoga County Ohio; Neighborhood Change; Reinvestment; urban planning

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Airgood-Obrycki, W. (2017). Neighborhood Change and Reinvestment in Cuyahoga County, Ohio [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1491844239486759

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Airgood-Obrycki, Whitney. Neighborhood Change and Reinvestment in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. 2017. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1491844239486759.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Airgood-Obrycki, Whitney. "Neighborhood Change and Reinvestment in Cuyahoga County, Ohio." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1491844239486759

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1491844239486759
38
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.