Neighborhood abandonment and quality of life: A comparison of neighborhood satisfaction and housing value measures

The neighborhood environment plays a significant role in shaping neighborhood perceptions and, as a result, on quality of life. Little research, however, has been conducted on the role of neighborhood environment when neighborhood disorders, such as structural abandonment, exist. Using the American Housing Survey data, this research explores the relationship between neighborhood abandonment and quality of life using two measures – neighborhood satisfaction and housing values. The results indicate that the presence of neighborhood abandonment is negatively associated with neighborhood satisfaction while housing values are more sensitive to both the presence and severity of abandonment. We suggest that socially vulnerable communities with high tolerance but low resilience to abandonment require more attention, especially toward improving the social environment.