Hypothesis:
Assessing the health of a community consists of more than the traditional aspects of health. Transportation, Housing, Population Density and many other factors contribute to the overall health of the community
Building A Healthier Jonestown
TRANSPORTATION
Public transportation in Baltimore City consists of the Subway, Light Rail and Busses. The Circulator and City link buses serve the Baltimore city area and the Subway can be accessed through the stop at Shot Tower
On the Health of a Community...
Nowadays, we often view a health as a physical condition that mostly has to do with sustenance and activity level. However, if we zoom out a little and look at the health of a community, we see that the health of the community comes from the culture, vitality and sustainability of a community. How well does the community help the residents be healthy, both mentally and physically? While it may not always be seen easily the positive effect of the community on the residents and business owners is easy to see if you look for it. Conversely, the deleterious effects of an unstable and/or dangerous community is quite evident to all who witness it. Some of the interactions that I had this week in the community drove that point home loud and clear.
Property and Vacant property in Jonestown
The data in the map shows that a high percentage of the properties in the neighborhood have a property value that is lower than the land value. Although this is certainly an issue currently and makes it more difficult for residents to secure certain types of loans and makes lending riskier; the good thing is that as the community builds resources necessary to become a healthy community the property value will grow exponentially. This fact makes it imperative to have local land ownership to avoid community members being priced out of living in the community.
All of the areas noted by the boxes that are shaded indicate that most of the land could be torn down and rebuilt into more valuable property. Much of this shows the chicken and the egg nature of this analysis. Residential property values rise together, so if there are a couple that are worth less than the value of all will fall. It is also notable that the land that the property sits on is some of the most coveted in Baltimore because of the areas that it surrounds. Another wrinkle in this analysis is the purple circles which indicate vacant lots. These lots are a problem for multiple reasons but also indicate an opportunity to ass green spaces or construct businesses that the community sorely needs.
All of the areas noted by the boxes that are shaded indicate that most of the land could be torn down and rebuilt into more valuable property. Much of this shows the chicken and the egg nature of this analysis. Residential property values rise together, so if there are a couple that are worth less than the value of all will fall. It is also notable that the land that the property sits on is some of the most coveted in Baltimore because of the areas that it surrounds. Another wrinkle in this analysis is the purple circles which indicate vacant lots. These lots are a problem for multiple reasons but also indicate an opportunity to ass green spaces or construct businesses that the community sorely needs.