In the Euclidean TSP with neighborhoods (TSPN) problem we seek a shortest tour that visits a given set of n neighborhoods. The Euclidean TSPN generalizes the standard TSP on points. We present the first constant-factor approximation algorithm for TSPN on an arbitrary set of disjoint, connected neighborhoods in the plane. Prior approximation bounds were O(log n), except in special cases. Our app...

We tested the hypothesis that neighborhoods with hazardous waste sites may no longer be undesirable places to live if they have been at least partly remediated. We collected 377 questionnaires (42% response rate) administered from within one-half mile of the number 1, 4, and 12 hazardous waste sites on the National Priority List (Superfund). These neighborhoods were rated higher quality than ne...

The geographic concentration and diffusion of crime deviancy are longstanding criminological inquiries, yet few studies have examined how certain illicit behaviors transcend neighborhood borders connect neighborhoods in patterns deviancy. A structural interdependence may account for the enduring nature spread crime, making it critical to understand connected guide prevention disruption efforts....

We evaluate the relationship between job proximity and male joblessness at the neighborhood level in Cleveland and Milwaukee. Using two tract-level measures of proximity to employment (i.e., physical distance and commute time), we Žnd mixed evidence for the spatial mismatch hypothesis. As expected, we Žnd that predominantly black neighborhoods in both cities have higher rates of male joblessnes...

Fertility levels remain high in most of sub-Saharan Africa, despite recent declines, and even in a large capital city such as Accra, Ghana, women are having children at a pace that is well above replacement level and this will contribute to significant levels of future population growth in the city. Our purpose in this paper is to evaluate the way in which neighborhood context may shape reprodu...

APrIl 2017 IZA DP No. 10697 The Effects of Physical Restructuring on the Socioeconomic Status of Neighborhoods: Selective Migration and Upgrading In the last few decades, urban restructuring programs have been implemented in many Western European cities with the main goal of combating a variety of socioeconomic problems in deprived neighborhoods. The main instrument of restructuring has been ho...

Indexing methods for the approximate string matching problem spend a considerable effort generating condensed neighborhoods. Condensed neighborhoods, however, are not a minimal representation of a pattern neighborhood. Super condensed neighborhoods, proposed in this work, are smaller, provably minimal and can be used to locate approximate matches that can later be extended by on-line search. We...

This study examined the association of census level, observational, and parent-reported neighborhood characteristics on the verbal and behavioral competencies of a national sample of Canadian preschoolers (N = 3,350). Children's verbal ability scores were positively associated with residing in neighborhoods with affluent residents and negatively associated with residing in neighborhoods with po...

: In response to the release of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention developed the "Enhanced Comprehensive HIV Prevention Planning" project, which provided support to health departments in 12 Metropolitan Statistical Areas with the highest AIDS prevalence to strengthen local HIV programs. We describe a case study of how 1 Metropolitan Statistical Area, ...

OBJECTIVE This study provides a multivariate analysis of the availability of food store outlets in the US and associations with neighborhood characteristics on race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status (SES). METHOD Commercial food store outlet data are linked across 28,050 zip codes to Census 2000 data. Multivariate regression analyses are used to examine associations between the availability...