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• 1. [Article] An Analysis of Neighborhood Vitality: The Role of Local Civic Organizations

  This paper addresses the issue of neighborhood vitality from the perspective of social capital building. Numerous studies have shown that social capital - a complex of networks, norms, and social trust ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: An Analysis of Neighborhood Vitality: The Role of Local Civic Organizations Author: Sharkova, Irina V., Sanchez, Thomas W. Year: 1999 This paper addresses the issue of neighborhood vitality from the perspective of social capital building. Numerous studies have shown that social capital - a complex of networks, norms, and social trust that promotes citizens involvement in local affairs - is crucial for the continuous well-being of communities. Among many political, economic, and cultural factors influencing social capital, the spatial dimension is most often overlooked. Yet the accessibility of places promoting social interactions and interpersonal communication between local residents should have a direct effect on the vitality of a neighborhood. Among these civic places are formal institutions - churches and locally oriented membership organizations, and informal, or “third places” such as small retail establishments including coffee shops, pubs, markets, and beauty parlors. While having different functions they all provide opportunities for individuals, and especially - for local residents, to transcend the “work-home” dichotomy, to become a part of local social networks. We assess the vitality of urban neighborhoods in the city of Portland, Oregon, using four indicators: residential stability, degree of racial integration, and the frequency of property crimes and crimes against persons. We hypothesize that the spatial concentration of civic places in neighborhoods should be associated with a higher share of non-migrants, higher racial integration, and lower per capita crime rates. These neighborhood outcomes serve as indicators of social capital and have received little or no attention in earlier research. This analysis is conducted at the census block group level using a geographic information system (GIS) to generate spatial indices of urban accessibility, and an ordinary least squares model to examine the spatial distribution of civic organizations on neighborhood vitality. This research contributes in several ways to the theoretical and methodological debates related to the concept of social capital. The results suggest that civic places influence neighborhood vitality outcomes and provides additional evidence that such places may facilitate formation of social capital by creating opportunities for informal interactions and civic engagement. We argue that the formal definition of social capital should be expanded to include its spatial component - the notion of place - together with social and psychological components of networks, norms, and social trust. Title: An Analysis of Neighborhood Vitality: The Role of Local Civic Organizations Author: Sharkova, Irina V., Sanchez, Thomas W. Year: 1999 This paper addresses the issue of neighborhood vitality from the perspective of social capital building. Numerous studies have shown that social capital - a complex of networks, norms, and social trust that promotes citizens involvement in local affairs - is crucial for the continuous well-being of communities. Among many political, economic, and cultural factors influencing social capital, the spatial dimension is most often overlooked. Yet the accessibility of places promoting social interactions and interpersonal communication between local residents should have a direct effect on the vitality of a neighborhood. Among these civic places are formal institutions - churches and locally oriented membership organizations, and informal, or “third places” such as small retail establishments including coffee shops, pubs, markets, and beauty parlors. While having different functions they all provide opportunities for individuals, and especially - for local residents, to transcend the “work-home” dichotomy, to become a part of local social networks. We assess the vitality of urban neighborhoods in the city of Portland, Oregon, using four indicators: residential stability, degree of racial integration, and the frequency of property crimes and crimes against persons. We hypothesize that the spatial concentration of civic places in neighborhoods should be associated with a higher share of non-migrants, higher racial integration, and lower per capita crime rates. These neighborhood outcomes serve as indicators of social capital and have received little or no attention in earlier research. This analysis is conducted at the census block group level using a geographic information system (GIS) to generate spatial indices of urban accessibility, and an ordinary least squares model to examine the spatial distribution of civic organizations on neighborhood vitality. This research contributes in several ways to the theoretical and methodological debates related to the concept of social capital. The results suggest that civic places influence neighborhood vitality outcomes and provides additional evidence that such places may facilitate formation of social capital by creating opportunities for informal interactions and civic engagement. We argue that the formal definition of social capital should be expanded to include its spatial component - the notion of place - together with social and psychological components of networks, norms, and social trust. Close

• 2. [Article] Is Portland Really the Place Where Young People Go To Retire? Analyzing Labor Market Outcomes for Portland’s Young and College-Educated

  Few segments of the population are more critical to Portland’s future economic vitality than the young and college‐educated (YCE). In the last several decades the Portland metropolitan region has become ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Is Portland Really the Place Where Young People Go To Retire? Analyzing Labor Market Outcomes for Portland’s Young and College-Educated Author: Jurjevich, Jason R., Schrock, Greg Year: 2012 Few segments of the population are more critical to Portland’s future economic vitality than the young and college‐educated (YCE). In the last several decades the Portland metropolitan region has become a magnet for YCEs nationally, boasting one of the country’s highest net migration rates for college‐educated individuals under the age of 40, a trend that has continued in good economic times and bad. The infusion of human capital from other regions has undoubtedly been a benefit to Portland, especially given Oregon’s historically low levels of investment in higher education. However, in recent years there has been growing concern about the poor labor market prospects for Portland’s YCEs, in particular the problem of underemployment. The television show Portlandia has amusingly captured this concern, dubbing the city "the place where young people go to retire." To the extent that Portland’s YCEs face a chronically difficult job market, there is cause for concern that college graduates will stop moving to Portland, or that those who have moved here won’t stay. Title: Is Portland Really the Place Where Young People Go To Retire? Analyzing Labor Market Outcomes for Portland’s Young and College-Educated Author: Jurjevich, Jason R., Schrock, Greg Year: 2012 Few segments of the population are more critical to Portland’s future economic vitality than the young and college‐educated (YCE). In the last several decades the Portland metropolitan region has become a magnet for YCEs nationally, boasting one of the country’s highest net migration rates for college‐educated individuals under the age of 40, a trend that has continued in good economic times and bad. The infusion of human capital from other regions has undoubtedly been a benefit to Portland, especially given Oregon’s historically low levels of investment in higher education. However, in recent years there has been growing concern about the poor labor market prospects for Portland’s YCEs, in particular the problem of underemployment. The television show Portlandia has amusingly captured this concern, dubbing the city "the place where young people go to retire." To the extent that Portland’s YCEs face a chronically difficult job market, there is cause for concern that college graduates will stop moving to Portland, or that those who have moved here won’t stay. Close