Gauging the Relationship between Contextual Growth and Structural Neglect

Population and land use outmigrations from urban to peripheral areas can result in nonfunctional unmaintained historic structures which deteriorate to the point where removal is cheaper than removal or demolition by neglect The increasing rate of neglected historic structures is a growing concern There is a need for research investigating connections between urban growth management and its effect on neglect This paper applies Newmans 2013 conceptual model of measuring neglect to Geographic Information Systems comparing rates of neglect in historic Doylestown Quakertown and Bristol boroughs in Pennsylvania USA utilizing different amounts of peripheral agricultural preservation Comparisons are made examining descriptive statistics on existing conditions a Polychoric correlation evaluating relationships between drivers of neglect and a crosscomparative GIS spatial analysis Results indicate as amounts of peripheral preserved farmlands increase neglect can be lowered