Arlington Park Final Portfolio

ARLINGTON PARK
Community Health Assessment

Analysis completed by:
Heather Cover, Gabrielle Evans, Brandon Mendenhall, Iza Reyes,
Laura Rolke, and Chelsea Whitfield.
UNC-Greensboro, Community Health Education Graduate Program
HEA-603 Professor Regina Pulliam
Arlington Park
Arlington Park
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Arlington Park
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................... 4
NEIGHBORHOOD................................................................................................................ 5
MAP AND GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES........................................................................6
WINDSHIELD TOUR (GROUP).......................................................................................... 8
HEATHERS WINDSHIELD TOUR.............................................................................20
GABRIELLES WINDSHIELD TOUR.........................................................................23
BRANDONS WINDSHIELD TOUR............................................................................25
IZAS WINDSHIELD TOUR.......................................................................................... 28
LAURAS WINDSHIELD TOUR................................................................................... 31
CHELSEAS WINDSHIELD TOUR..............................................................................34
SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE ................................................................................. 37
AGE................................................................................................................................... 39
RACE & ETHNICITY ................................................................................................... 40
EDUCATION................................................................................................................... 41
INCOME & POVERTY STATUS..................................................................................43
HOMEOWNERSHIP...................................................................................................... 45
EMPLOYMENT & DISABILITY.................................................................................. 47
ETHNOGRAPHIC INTERVIEWS.....................................................................................49
METHODS....................................................................................................................... 51
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS............................................................................................ 53
RESULTS & THEMES.................................................................................................. 55
EDUCATION................................................................................................................... 55
ROLE MODELS............................................................................................................ 56
PREGNANCY.................................................................................................................. 57
NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENTS.....................................................................57
OUTSIDE PERCEPTION............................................................................................... 59
FOOD ACCESS.............................................................................................................. 60
EMPLOYMENT.............................................................................................................. 61
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HEALTH PROFILE............................................................................................................. 62
LEADING CAUSES OF MORTALITY.......................................................................64
BIRTH STATISTICS...................................................................................................... 65
CHILD AND MATERNAL HEALTH...........................................................................67
ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE........................................................................................ 68
TOBACCO
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
OBESITY AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
REFERENCES
APPENDIX ATTACHED DOCUMENT
WINDSHIELD TOUR (GROUP)
HEATHERS WINDSHIELD TOUR
GABRIELLES WINDSHIELD TOUR
BRANDONS WINDSHIELD TOUR
IZAS WINDSHIELD TOUR
LAURAS WINDSHIELD TOUR
CHELSEAS WINDSHIELD TOUR
SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE
ETHNOGRAPHIC INTERVIEWS
INTERVIEW GUIDES
SUMMARY OF INTERVIEWS
FIELD NOTES
HEALTH PROFILE
Arlington Park
INTRODUCTION
Community health assessments are reports used to identify factors that affect the health of a
population and determine the availability of resources that address these factors (North Carolina Depart
of Health and Human Services [NCDHHS], 2011). This community health assessment specifically
analyzes the neighborhood of Arlington Park in Greensboro, North Carolina. In North Carolina, a
community health assessment is completed across each county by the county health department every
four years (NCDHHS, 2011). This assessment was completed in during the fall semester of 2014 and
specifically looks at a small fraction of Guilford County.
The goal of community health assessments is to form partnerships, gather health-related data,
determine priority health issues, identify resources, and plan appropriate community health programs
with the community (NCDHHS, 2011). For this assignment, we completed the first four of these through
two windshield tours, a socio-demographic profile, ethnographic interviews with community residents
and leaders, and a health profile. The final goal, planning health programs with the community, occurs
after the first four are complete and goes beyond the scope of this assignment.
Primary data collection, or data collected first-hand, is used to find out what the community
thinks about their health status, needs, and resources (NCDHHS, 2011). It is important that community
health assessments represent the voice of the community and provide more specific insight than
secondary data. In North Carolina, there are two types of primary data that are required to be collected in
community health assessments: an inventory of health resources and community opinion collected
through a health opinion survey or small group discussions (NCDHHS, 2011). In this report, the
inventory of health resources can be found in the windshield tour. Community health opinion was
collected in the form of ethnographic interviews (key informant interviews) conducted with residents
and community leaders in Arlington Park.
Secondary data, or data initially collected by someone else, is used in the form of statistics.
North Carolina community health assessments are required to contain discussions of population
demographics, socioeconomic factors, environmental factors, health indicators, health care facilities and
provides, parks and recreational facilities, and smoke-free facilities (NCDHHS, 2011). In this report, the
socio-demographic profile addresses the population demographics and socioeconomic factors using U.S.
Census data. The health profile contains information about health indicators by using U.S. Census and
State Center for Health Statistics data.
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Arlington Park
NEIGHBORHOOD
Arlington Park is a residential development in Greensboro, North Carolina. It is located
southeast of downtown Greensboro and is a part of the larger Southside/Ole Asheboro Park
neighborhood. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive is featured to the east of the community, with the Guilford
County Child Development Center to the northwest and Gillespie Golf Course along Florida Street to
the south. Vance, Burtner, and Arlington Streets make up the western boundary. The neighborhood
consists mostly of single family homes, a few duplexes, and two apartment complexes. Many of the
homes date back to the late 1800s and early 1900s. The neighborhood was a desirable place to live in
the 1920s and 1930s, but as desegregation occurred in Greensboro during the mid-1900, white
residents moved to other parts of town (City of Greensboro, 2014).
According to the City of Greensboro (2014), the Homeowners Association and the Greensboro
Housing Development Partnership have been influential in revitalizing the neighborhood by removing
dilapidated homes, rehabilitating private homes, and renovating historic houses in the area. Other
additions to Arlington Park over the past few years have been adding playground equipment and new
benches to Bellevue Park along with installing new brick sidewalks along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.
The vision of the city is to create The Village at Arlington Park, a newer development of homes on the
south end of the neighborhood. Today, this community primarily consists of African Americans (90%)
who are middle aged and younger. Many of the residents have low income and low education levels
which may contribute to some of the challenges that the community is facing.
MAP & GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES

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MAP & GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES MAP LEGEND

Condemned Homes
401 Andrew Street
208 Burtner Street
1409 Plymouth Street
Neighborhood Businesses
Quik Save
1205 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive
Washington Group
ONeal Steel
105 West Florida Street
Nussbaum Center for Entrepreneurship
1451 South Elm-Eugene Street
Wheelchair Accessible Homes

609 Glover Street
1404 Caldwell Street
Violation of City Ordinances

1220 Randolph Avenue
1468 Martin Luther King Jr Drive
503 Burtner Street
Churches
Rock Hill Sovereign Grace Baptist
Church
1216 Bellevue Street
Gods House of Deliverance
Grace & Truth Christian Fellow
Freewill Pentecostal Church
1606 Martin Luther King Jr
Drive
St Matthews United Methodist Church
600 East Florida Street
New Missionary Zion Baptist Church
1310 Martin Luther King Jr
Drive
Vacant Lot
430 Burtner Street
Public School/County Service

Gillespie Park School
Guilford Child Development Center
1200 Arlington Street
GTCC Small Business Center
1451 South Elm-Eugene Street Suite
1201
Public Park
Arlington Park Basketball Courts
Arlington Park Playground
1201 West Bellevue Street
Gillespie Park and Golf Course
Power Station
Public Safety Concern

Arlington Park
WINDSHIELD TOUR
AT A GLANCE
The neighborhood of Arlington Park is located in south Greensboro in the 27406 zip code and
Census Tract 113.
Arlington Park has made many improvements as far as street lighting and sidewalks, but this
depends on the street; more needs to be done to improve accessibility and clear pathways.
There is one designated park in the community, as well as a basketball court and a city-owned
golf course that borders the neighborhoods.
Only one of the schools (Gillespie Park Elementary) the neighborhood is districted for is within
walking distance (less than a mile outside of the neighborhood).
There are five churches located within the community and 1 directly bordering the southeast
corner.
All general practitioner and dental offices are located at least a mile away from the
neighborhood.
Arlington Park is located in a food desert; there are no farmers markets close to the
neighborhood and the closest grocery stores that carry fresh fruits and vegetables are at least a
mile outside the neighborhood.
There are three business enterprises directly bordering the western boundary of the
neighborhood. One of these is an entrepreneurship center that hosts new business ventures.
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Safety is a concern in the neighborhood; there are condemned homes and vacated lots that have
been closed off. There are also issues with not enough sidewalks aligning some streets and cars
speeding down the neighborhood streets.
Windshield and Walking Tour
Team Members:
Heather Cover, Gabrielle Evans, Brandon Mendenhall, Iza Reyes, Laura Rolke, and Chelsea
Whitfield
Observations Dates:
Wednesday September 10, 2014 at 6:30-8:30 pm

o Heather Cover, Gabrielle Evans, Brandon Mendenhall, Iza Reyes, Laura Rolke, and
Chelsea Whitfield drove around the neighborhood to identify the boundaries and visit all
the streets. A basic inventory of resources and landmarks was created.
Sunday September 14, 2014 at 1:30-3:30 pm

o Heather Cover, Gabrielle Evans, Brandon Mendenhall, Iza Reyes, Laura Rolke, and
Chelsea Whitfield walked around neighborhood as a group to get a more in-depth view of
the neighborhoods streets, sidewalks, homes, and resources. The inventory was updated
with more precise information.
General Neighborhood Information

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Arlington Park
1.
Name of Neighborhood: Arlington Park, Greensboro NC
2.
Congressional District: NC-12
3.
Location (zip code): 27406
4.
Census Tract: 113
5.
Boundaries:
North: Andrew Street
South: Florida Street
East: Martin Luther King Jr. Drive
West: Vance Street and North West Arlington Street
Neighborhood design for physical activity
6. Sidewalks:
There are sidewalks are throughout most of the community. The quality of the sidewalks
vary with their location in the neighborhood. Some of least maintained sidewalks are along
Harrington, North Vance, Arlington, Burtner and Andrew Streets. These sidewalks are more
likely to be obstructed by timber, overgrown trees, trash, and debris. They are also more likely to
have cracks or grass and weeds growing through the concrete. Some of the sidewalks, like one
on Randolph Street, have electrical poles in the middle of the sidewalk that make walking
difficult.
The south and some areas of the east side of the neighborhood have well maintained
sidewalks. On South Vance Street there are sidewalks on each side of the road and wheel chair
accessible ramps at the sidewalk end. This continued a third of the way up Caldwell Street until
Mary Black Street. There is also a planter strip separating the sidewalk from the street on South
Vance, which does not exist anywhere else in the neighborhood.
Martin Luther King Jr. Drive had mostly a brick side walk on one side and a regular
concrete sidewalk on the other. There appeared to be ongoing construction with water pipes that
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lay beside the sidewalk in the road. On Martin Luther King Drive, just past New Zion Baptist
Church, there was a wire from a power line was hanging down that obstructed the sidewalk.
A few of the side streets, such as Ward Street, do not have sidewalks. The streets without
sidewalks are typically smaller, connection streets between the streets with more traffic in the
neighborhood.
All in all, with the exception of the sidewalks that lined the perimeter of the
neighborhood and the sidewalks on the southern end of Vance and Caldwell Streets, the
sidewalks are poorly maintained, obstructed, uneven and have large or non-existent curb cuts
from the sidewalk to the street.
7. Bike trails or routes:

Biking trails are absent from Arlington Park. Two individuals were observed riding bikes
in the neighborhood and both were riding in the roadway.
8. ADA Accessibility: Walking and biking routes are accessible to people with disabilities and in
compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements:
Most sidewalks stopped without easy access for bikes or disabled individuals, and roads
were hilly and narrow in the Northwest area. The sidewalk routes have many large dips and
inclines. Since most of the sidewalks are narrow, there are many dips and inclines created to cut
through driveways that have been lowered for road access. Most of the sidewalks are made with
rocky concrete and many of them are poorly maintained, so there are a number of breaks
between cracks in the sidewalk. A few of the sidewalk transitions, such as the ramp at the corner
of Caldwell and Vance Street, has a smooth transition from sidewalk to street. Most of the curb
cuts, such as the curb cut at the crosswalk between Randolph and Burtner Street, have a large dip
from the sidewalk to the street. The sidewalk at this crosswalk also lacks a curb extension to
allow pedestrians to see around parked cars when crossing the street. The sidewalk construction
and maintenance make it difficult for people with disabilities to use them.
Most of the neighborhood have mailboxes at the door and not on the street. There are a
few sidewalks with low hanging branches from trees that make navigating through them
impossible. Randolph Street has a few power poles in the sidewalk with no room in the sidewalk
to navigate a wheelchair around them. Some of the residents placed their trash and recycling
receptacles directly on the sidewalk, which makes the sidewalks difficult to use.
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Arlington Park
9. Neighborhood Parks
There are several public park areas within walking and biking distance of the
neighborhood. There are no sidewalks or green-ways connecting the park areas to each other.
Arlington Park
Arlington Park is located at the northern edge of the neighborhood between a split
in Bellevue Street and across Burtner Street. The park has benches, a shelter, a
playground, a swing set, a basketball court, and small grass areas, along with a working
water fountain and a locked water pump. Arlington Park has a plastic playground within a
mulched area that is bordered by plastic beams. The play structure has cat walks, slides,
and a climbing wall. Beside the play structure is a metal swing set that has three swings
high off the ground and two baby seats. The swing set shows signs of age, with rust and
chipped paint.
There are no parking lots bordering the area. There is a shelter at Arlington Park
along with a water fountain and water pump. Accessing the park from the south requires
crossing a wide street with no crosswalks. The park is in a valley between a split in
Bellevue Street with large grassy inclines on all sides. These make wheelchair access
nearly impossible. There is a curb cut that appears to allow wheelchair access to the
park, but the curb cut goes directly to a steep, grassy decline. Local Hispanic residents
consisting of two adults and two children were observed utilizing the Arlington Park play
structure on Wednesday, September 10th.
Basketball Court & Open Area

There is a basketball court and open field located on Bellevue Street before you
get to Burtner Street coming from the south. There two basketball goals on one court with
a big open area of grass to the side (about half an acre). Children were observed playing
here, both on Wednesday evening and Sunday afternoon. On Wednesday evening, a large
group of children were playing football in the open area. There is nothing designating the
area as a field for a certain sport though, as it is just an open area.
Gillespie Golf Course

Gillespie Golf Course is located on Florida Street on the border of the community.
It is owned and operated by the City of Greensboro and features 18-holes of golf for any
level of golfer. The hours for the golf course appear to only be in the spring and summer
months of the year.
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Arlington Park
Neighborhood offers many destinations (e.g., parks, playgrounds, stores, community centers, and
libraries) within easy walking distance (1/2 mile) from homes or public transportation stops.
Arlington Park and playground is located in the northern part of the community and
would be in walking distance for most in the community. However, the far south east side might
have to walk more than a half mile to reach the park. There is a Quik Save/Citgo gas station and
convenience store located in the Northeast corner of the community on Martin Luther King Jr.
Drive. It has a little bit of everything from snacks, drinks, canned goods and produce to flip
flops, purses, clothes, jewelry, light bulbs and hardware. This store is in easy walking distance
from the Greensboro transit authority bus stop at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and
Florida Street. However, for residents in the southwest side of the neighborhood the journey to
the store may take a little more than half a mile.
Other Neighborhood Assets
10.
Schools:
Guilford Child Development

1200 Arlington St
Greensboro, NC 2740
Gillespie Park Elementary

School 1900 Martin Luther
King Jr. Drive Greensboro
NC, 27406
Guilford Technical Community

College Small Business Center 1451
S. Elm-Eugene Street Greensboro NC,
27406 (approx .8 miles away)
(approx .7 miles away)
Kiser Middle School 716

Benjamin Pkwy Greensboro,
NC 27408
Grimsley High School 801

Westover Terrace
Greensboro, NC 27408
(approx 4.1 miles away)
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Arlington Park
The only educational facility directly bordering the neighborhood is the Guilford Child
Development Center. The Guilford Child Development Center has a mission to help young
children and families reach their full potential through five programs: Head Start/Early Head
Start, Regional Child Care Resources and Referral, Catering for Kids, Nurse-Family Partnership,
and Learning Together Family Literacy.
There are no Guilford County Public Schools or private schools directly in the
community. Students in the neighborhood attend Gillespie Park Elementary school, which is
located less than a mile away. The neighborhood is districted to Kiser Middle and Grimsley
High school despite there being other middle schools (Bennett, Lincoln, and Jackson) and high
school (Dudley) that are closer.
Gillespie Park Elementary and the Guilford Child Development Center are the only
schools for youth located within walking distance (less than a mile). However, accessibility to
these resources depend on where the residents live in the neighborhood because it may be more
than a mile. There are crosswalks around the Guilford Child Development Center to make
walking there safer. Gillespie Park Elementary is farther away and the best route via sidewalks
are unknown at this time; there are no Safe Routes to School projects in the area to ensure a safe
passage to school.
We did not observe any school buses or children walking home from school during the
two observation times that our group went out in the community because the times were not near
typical school times.
11.
Churches, clubs, and membership organizations:
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Arlington Park
Freewill Pentecostal Church
Gods House of Deliverance
(336) 273-2159
(336) 373-3997
1606 Martin Luther King Jr Dr

1212 Randolph Ave
Grace & Truth Christian

Fellow
1237 Randolph Ave
New Missionary Zion Baptist Church Rock Hill Sovereign Grace

Baptist Church
St Matthews United
Methodist Church
(336) 272-8441
(336) 274-4556
(336) 272-4505

600 E Florida St
Greensboro NC 27406
There are five churches located within the geographic confines of the neighborhood and
one directly bordering the neighborhood (St Matthews United Methodist Church). Outside of the
churches in the neighborhood, there do not appear to be any other clubs or membership
organizations.
12.
Places where people like to linger or hang out:

Black residents on Wednesday evening were hanging out on front porches with friends or
family members in chairs, on the steps or standing up. Black children were playing at the
basketball courts and open grassy area beside the courts. A Hispanic family was utilizing the
Arlington Park with the children playing on the playground and the adults sitting on the nearby
benches. We noticed one white woman sitting in a chair in a front yard next to a black man.
Chelsea spoke to a black man named Sammy Davis who was in a chair seated in front of a house
on Randolph Avenue and he said that most people hang out in their yards or walk the
neighborhood.
On Sunday, some black churchgoers were in the Gods House of Deliverance Church
parking lot lingering around their vehicles talking. A black man and woman were sitting on a
bench on Martin Luther King Drive listening to music on a hand held radio. A group of black
women were sitting in chairs in front of their home on Randolph Street talking and braiding each
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Arlington Park
others hair. There were not as many individuals out during this time of day compared to earlier
in the week.
13.
Community organizations, associations, and health and social service agencies:

The Guilford Child Development Center located at 1200 Arlington Street in the northwest
corner of the community at the intersection of Arlington and Andrew Street may be the closest
facility to a community center in the neighborhood. There was a big, blue-trimmed white sign
with black letters beside the front entrance that stated the programs that are offered at the center
along with their hours of operation which are Monday through Friday from 8am-5pm. The center
provides programs such as head start (mentioned previously), resources and referrals to child
care, a catering for kids program, a nurse-family partnership program, and learning together
family literacy programs.
14.
Health care providers:
Triad Adult & Pediatric

Medicine
Kindred Hospital Greensboro

336.
336.
271- 2800
Sharen Long-Strokes DDS

336.
290-6098
355-9920
2401 S Side Boulevard
106 Murrow Boulevard, #100
1002 S Eugene Street

(approx 1 mile away)
The closest health care providers are at least a mile outside of the neighborhood. Triad
Adult & Pediatric Medicine has general practitioners for general health and wellness. They
accept private insurance, Medicaid and Medicare. Kindred Hospital Greensboro is a transitional
care and inpatient rehabilitation hospital. The nearest dentist is located 1.7 miles from the
neighborhood.
15.
Block by block description of types of housing:
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Arlington Park
Andrew Street
o
Arlington Street
o
A lot of single family, one story homes with no trespassing signs in front yard at least in
northern two thirds of street. In this same section, there is a house for rent. Most houses
appear to be in need of repairs (molding shingles, buckling vinyl, unkempt lawn, etc) and
one was condemned house with boards on door and window. One home located at 1307
had a front porch with a shooting range target hung above their house number. Homes on
this street are of different colors. Southern portion of Caldwell Street past Mary E. Black
Street were newer homes, some two story and one was a duplex. Most of these homes in
this location had all there shutters, had all the paint on the houses, and appeared to be
better kept, bigger yards.
Dale Street
o
Single family, one story homes with small yards. Most had dirt, mold and/or mildew on
the exterior of siding. Some homes had no trespassing signs in yard.
Caldwell Street
o
Bellevue Street is made up mostly of single family, one story homes with small yards.
Most had dirt, mold and/or mildew on the exterior of siding. A few of the homes between
Lucerne and Burtner Street on Bellevue had bars on their doors. One home closest to the
basketball courts had a broken front glass window.
Burtner Street
o
Single family, one story homes with small yards. One home, closest to the corner of
Arlington and Andrew, is for rent and their mailbox laying down on the pole in their
grassy front yard.
Bellevue Street
o
Single family, one story homes mostly and one abandoned home boarded up with
condemn signs. Other homes had faded, chipped or loss of paint on exterior potentially
due to negligence and old age.
Dale Street is a small street that connects Martin Luther King Jr Drive and Randolph
Avenue. There are a couple of small one-story single family homes facing the road.
Florida Street
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Arlington Park
o
Glover Street
o
West Lucerne has single family, one story homes with a few for rent. One home had torn
up interior blinds seen through glass window.
East Lucerne Street has single family, one story homes.
Mary E Black Street

Houses on Mary E Black Street have attached garages and most are two story. These
houses appear to be much nicer and bigger than majority of the other homes in the
neighborhood. There are larger yards that are well kept and trimmed and little to no
debris in the street.
Martin Luther King Jr Drive

o
Harrington Street is a small private road that borders New Zion Baptist Church. There are
only 2 housing lots facing the road, as it mostly serves for access into the church parking
lot.
Lucerne Street
Glover Street features a mix of brick block group housing and single family homes. Most
of the houses are single-story brick homes. 609 Glover Street has wheelchair access ramp
to the front door.
Harrington Street
o
The only housing in the neighborhood on Florida Street was brick group housing. These
units had some windows without window screens and no grass in front with mostly
graveled parking. There was also a large power transfer/distribution station along the
road.
Martin Luther King Jr Drive features a mix of larger single family homes and lots with
smaller ones more typical of the neighborhood. Several of the larger homes had a
Victorian style with two stories. Some yards were landscaped, others in varying levels of
disrepair. Only one house on the street had a city notice for upkeep (1468). Many of the
homes had no trespassing signs.
Plymouth Street
o
Plymouth features mostly one-story single family homes. 1409 Plymouth Street is
condemned and missing part of its roof; the windows are boarded and it was clear the
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Arlington Park
glass in the upstairs windows were broken at one point. Another home on the street is
currently listed for rent.
Randolph Avenue
o
Vance Street
o
South Vance Street has at least one duplex house, but other houses on the street are two
stories and a few with attached garages. As you travel north on Vance Street the houses
change to single family, one story homes with no new renovation and varying degrees of
exterior neglect.
Ward Street
o
16.
Randolph Avenue is mostly made of single family, one story homes on small lots. On the
north end of the street is Randolph Village, which are one-story brick housing complexes.
The street was well lit at night, with most of the streetlights working. There were several
houses that had handicap access and ramps leading up to the homes. Towards the south
end there were several empty lots owned by the City of Greensboro that appeared to have
once been single family homes that were removed. At the south end of the street there is a
large power transfer/distribution station.
Ward Street features older one-story single family homes on the west side and four lots
with newer construction homes on the east side. The newer homes are distinguishable
because of the clean, simplistic design, new vinyl, and new sidewalks/driveways that lead
up to the homes.
Food stores:
Quik Save Convenience store
Fairway One Stop
Food Lion

1301 S Eugene St
120 W Meadowview Rd
(approx .9 miles away)
Family Dollar
Walmart SuperCenter
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Arlington Park
122 W Meadowview Rd
121 W Elmsley St
The closest store that sells food is the Quik Save convenience store that is combined with
the Citgo gas station. It offered onions and potatoes near the counter; however most of the other
food was prepackaged carbohydrates. Not only did the store offer prepackaged foods, but there
was also a wide variety of artificial nails, hair products, cleaning supplies, toys, shoes, clothing,
purses, book bags and lottery tickets.
17.
Farmers markets:
There are no farmers markets within the neighborhood. There was a small garden
located in a residents yard, but it did not appear to be a public/community garden. The closest
farmers market appears to be the Greensboro Farmers Curb Market, which is open year round on
Saturdays 7am-12pm and is approximately 2.2 miles away.
18.
Commercial enterprises:
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Arlington Park
ONeal Steel
Nussbaum Center for Entrepreneurship
VF Jeanswear
(336) 691-1106
(336) 379-5001
(336) 332-3577
105 W Florida Street
1451 S Elm-Eugene St
1421 S Elm-Eugene St
Greensboro, NC
There are no commercial enterprises within the confines of the neighborhood. However,
there are three commercial businesses directly bordering the neighborhood, just west of the train
tracks on the western border. ONeal Steel is a large warehouse-like building that sells carbon
and alloy steel, aluminum and stainless steel products. Nussbaum Center for Entrepreneurship is
a non-profit organization that works to support and house start-up and early-stage growth
entrepreneurs. The Center offers a modestly priced office and light manufacturing space along
with shared support services such as business counseling and general office management for
entrepreneurs. VF Jeanswear has a secondary office in Greensboro for their Jeanswear division. The
operation is housed in a large brick warehouse with a fence.
Safety
19.
Sidewalks, parks, and parking areas are well lit to enhance safety at night.
Some areas of the west side of the community had a few street lights that came on while
other areas were completely in the dark. On the east side of the neighborhood there were some
light poles beside the streets that helped with visibility at night. Caldwell Street had about fifty
percent of the street lights on and working; this could be a safety concern. However, Randolph,
the other main north-south road through the neighborhood had nearly every light on and
functioning. The park did not have lights because the signs clearly states that the park closes at
dusk.
20.
Motor vehicle drivers obey the speed limit and yield for pedestrians to cross the street.
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Arlington Park
The speed limit in the community was posted as 25 mph. Most drivers that we observed
were exceeding that speed limit and not paying attention to pedestrians or cars that were parked
on side of the streets.
21.
Law enforcement officers at local parks.

There were no law enforcement officers at the local park on either day of our
observations in the Arlington Park community. On Wednesday the only law enforcement that was
visible was an older black man wearing a black suit with a gold badge that looked similar to a
security officer outfit at the front door of the Guilford County Child Development Center on the
corner of Andrew and Arlington Street. The black officer was leaning against the stair railing at
the entrance to the building watching cars and pedestrians go by. On Sunday, two police cars
drove down Martin Luther King Jr Drive at separate times; there was some police presence, but
it did not appear police came into the neighborhood.
22.
People who walk and bike during the day can feel free from traffic hazards or threats to
personal safety.
The community did have stop signs at the end of every street and a multitude of various
age walkers and bike riders all throughout the area. Although there were sidewalks on some
streets and other streets did not have any, it appeared that no matter the location in the
neighborhood there were individuals riding their bikes on the street but most walkers were on the
sidewalk. Chelsea and Gabby spoke to two different black individuals (Sammy Davis who was in
a chair seated in front of a house on Randolph Avenue and Mike who had just started walking
down Bellevue Street from Andrew Street) to gain more insight about the safety of the area. Both
men explained that you have to look out for yourself and your own safety because people in the
community do not look out for you. Mike was walking down Bellevue Street when we asked him
how he felt about his safety as a pedestrian. He stated that most drivers are texting on their
phones and not paying attention to who might be walking or riding their bikes on the streets.
23.
Locations of abandoned or vacant buildings, empty lots, etc. Do these pose a threat to safety?
Safety in the neighborhood varies by the lots. Some trash, discarded materials, and
overgrown lawns were apparent in some empty lots, while others were clear from any items in
the yard and the lawn was maintained. None of the condemned homes looked as though they
were broken into or appeared to have squatters, which could post a threat to safety. The
important thing is that the houses that were vacant seemed to be the condemned ones, which
means they were boarded up and added to the cities list of homes to demolish.
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Arlington Park
Andrew Street:
o
Arlington Street:
o
All homes seemingly occupied
Bellevue Street:
o
Vacant house for rent across from Guilford Child Development Center and close to
corner of Andrew Street (1205 Arlington Street).
Vance Street:
o
401 Andrew Street is condemned house; there are boards on the front door and first story
windows. The upper left window has been broken.
Across from the park appears to be a white abandoned house.
Caldwell Street:
o
Condemned home
House for rent
Abandoned home
Burtner Street:
o
Abandoned and condemned house with notice at 208 Burtner Street. The yellow house
has boards on all of its first story windows and doors with a notice posted that it was a
vacant structure that was closed October 2013.
Corner of Burtner and Caldwell is a vacant lot with a no trespassing sign located in the
yard stating it has been placed there from the City of Greensboro
Randolph Avenue:
o
Corner of Randolph and Harrington Street is an abandoned lot with a brick chimney still
standing.
Another abandoned lot is located on this street near Lucerne Street with no trespassing
signs located in the yard stating it has been placed there from the City of Greensboro.
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Arlington Park
1220 Randolph Street home is empty and appears to be in the process of renovation.
Previous pictures of the home show it was boarded, but notice posted did not say it was
condemned.
1699 Randolph Street had personal belonging covering the front porch- appeared to be a
safety hazard.
Glover Street:
o
Ward Street:
o
1468 Martin Luther King Jr Drive had a notice on it and looked to be in disrepair,
however it was unclear if anyone was living in the house.
Florida Street:
o
24.
The house on the corner of Randolph & Dale was previously mentioned and that is the
only unoccupied home.
Martin Luther King Jr. Drive:

o
The two lots on this street were occupied
Dale Street:
o
Corner of this street and Harrington Street is a condemned home
Harrington Street:
o
All homes and lots occupied
Plymouth Street:
o
Some vacancies noted at the block housing unit, but all structures occupied.
Some vacancies in the multi-family brick housing units on Florida Street, but all the
buildings appeared to have occupants.
Geographic barriers, natural and man-made, such as major thoroughfares, waterways, etc.
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Arlington Park
West of Vance Street is the Southern Railroad tracks. Although this man-made barrier is
not located directly in the community it can be heard in the area when the train passes by. There
is also a small stream that runs just east of the railroad tracks. Another man-made barrier is that
of a fenced in power transfer/distribution station at the corner of Randolph and Florida Street.
This power source takes up the entire corner lot and is surrounded by trees on two sides.
HEATHERS WINDSHIELD TOUR (UNREVISED)

The layout of Arlington Park mostly consists of residential homes. In the northwestern side of the
community one story single family white painted homes dominate the area with this type of home also
sprinkled throughout the rest of the neighborhood. Most of these homes had faded, chipped or loss of
paint on their wooden exterior and others had mold and vines growing up the side which looks as though
it may be potentially due to negligence and/or old age. Three homes had a wheelchair accessible ramp,
while other homes had a metal or wooden rail leading up the concrete stairs. A small selection of the
homes had a brick exterior with the sporadic broken or missing shutters. The majority of homes had
brick or concrete underpinning and foundations. The yards are small, a few with overgrown grass and
bushes with the occasional fence surrounding the lawns. Two story homes with garages can be found in
the southern part of Arlington Park along with two duplex houses. These homes consist of vinyl siding,
painted front porch wooden rails, brick underpinning, and manicured landscapes with a few homes
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Arlington Park
having hanging plants on their front porch. Security protection signs can be found in the front yards of
these colorful exterior siding homes with concrete walkways that go directly from the driveway to the
house. Randolph Village apartments, a u-shaped one story brick building, are located on N. Randolph
Street. Florida and Glover Street had four brick u-shaped government housing units. Random homes on
some of the streets were condemned with plywood boards on the windows and doors. Most had broken
glass in the windows with overgrown lawns. Industrial and commercial areas were absent from the
neighborhood. The southwestern part of town appears to be newer or recently renovated, maybe a couple
years old, where the rest gave the impression that they may be sixty plus years due to the lack of updated
features of the homes. Spider webbed cracked pavement across the road was consistent throughout and a
small number of streets had new asphalt in specific spots. A sidewalk could be found on at least one side
of the road in the southern half of the community, while on the lower end of Vance Street sidewalks
were present on both sides. There are no sidewalks the rest of the way up Vance, on Bellevue, Arlington,
Ward or W. Lucerne Street. Debris on sidewalks such as cut wood logs and twigs, broken concrete and
glass overgrown tree branches and trash and overgrown grass between the cracks of the sidewalk made
it hard to utilize. On Martin Luther King Jr Drive the sidewalks were wider with red brick laid on the
outer edge near the road, concrete in the middle and street lights along the inner edge every few feet.
Traffic in the neighborhood was light but from observing the various patterns on different streets, it
looked as though no one was concerned about the posted 25 mph speed limit. At the end of Martin
Luther King Jr Drive closest to Florida Street was the only visible Greensboro Transit Authority sign for
bus transportation.
Religious institutions such as Rock Hill Sovereign Grace Baptist Church a brick white structure
located at 1216 Bellevue Street, Gods House of Deliverance an older brick building found at 1212
Randolph Ave, Grace & Truth Christian Fellow a brick building with stained glass windows at 1237
Randolph Ave, Freewill Pentecostal Church a brick building with stone work directly above white
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Arlington Park
double doors in the front at 1606 Martin Luther King Jr Drive, St Matthews United Methodist Church at
600 E Florida St is a light brick exterior with red double doors at the front with a well maintained
landscape, and New Missionary Zion Baptist Church a three story brick building with steps leading up
to three archways at the entrance of 1310 Martin Luther King Jr Drive are all scattered among
residential homes. The Quik Save/Exxon gas station business is located at 1205 Martin Luther King Jr
Drive. It has a red roof top with gray siding and is in the corner of the community away from most of the
residential homes. Arlington Park, found in between the Bellevue split, is located near residential homes
in the northwestern part of the community. There is a playground that includes a slide, swing and
climbing areas for children along with a water fountain and shelter. The concrete basketball court with
two hoops is in the same vicinity located on S. Bellevue Street before the intersection of Burtner Street.
Gillespie Golf Course is located on Florida Street on the border of the community away from most of
the residential homes.
During my observations I felt this is a rundown area of Greensboro. Houses are not maintained
by regular upkeep such as proper window coverings (glass, shutters or blinds), new paint, lawns cut, or
even trash free from the premises. To me it felt like a community that either (a) gave up on caring about
the appearance of their homes, (b) never had the desire to do so in the first place, or (c) lacked the
resources or finances to enjoy such luxuries as new paint. On Caldwell Street I saw a bullet target
hanging on someones front porch and it made me want to lock the doors of the vehicle and drive away.
However, when we all walked the community everyone was friendly and curious about our presence but
not in a manner in which I was worried about my safety. Something can be said about actually going out
into a community and seeing with your own eyes what it is like, nothing that the yellow pages or a
database can provide. You can feel the tone of the neighborhood when you are there compared to
looking on the internet through statistics. In a way I still feel the same way about the neighborhood as
my earlier impressions of the tour but I know its not fair of me to make assumptions about a community
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Arlington Park
that I have only been to twice. Homes in the area were not homogeneous. There was a contrast between
the northern part of the community having not experienced any renovations and the northern part having
the access to a more luxurious way of life with less litter on the sidewalks, bigger homes with fresh paint
or vinyl siding and the affordability to maintain their yard. Most of the residents that I observed in the
neighborhood were black. I only noticed two older women in the area that were white but did happen to
notice black girls no older than maybe 15 walking a dog, playing basketball and talking to boys that
were about the same age in the street. The boys in the area were also playing basketball and talking to
the girls. Some of the adult black men were riding their bikes, walking the streets or sitting on front
porches watching cars go by. I noticed on the first day we went out in the afternoon there were a lot
more interaction with individuals outside in their neighbors front yards talking to one another and in
groups on front porches.
GABRIELLES WINDSHIELD TOUR (REVISED)

The neighborhood that my group members and I were assigned was Arlington Park located in
congressional district NC-12 in Greensboro, North Carolina. The boundaries for this neighborhood
are as follows North: Andrew Street, South: Florida Street, East: Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, and
West: Vance Street and North West Arlington Street. My group members and I observed our
neighborhood on two different occasions Wednesday, September 10th, 2014 with a driving tour and on
Sunday, September 14th, 2014 for a walking tour.
In the beginning stages of our windshield tour, I was under the impression that the neighborhood
that we were assigned was an average neighborhood for Greensboro, especially since it was
surrounding The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. I was expecting to see a low-income
community with a few houses for rent and maybe one park. Most of the homes in Arlington park are
very old and need renovations and/or multiple repairs due to negligence overgrown grass, mold on the
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Arlington Park
exterior of the homes, and missing/damaged vinyl siding. In addition to there being neglected homes,
there were also homes that had been condemned by the City of Greensboro, ones that had been
foreclosed, and others with ordinances for violation of upkeep. There were also a few homes in the
neighborhood that were well-maintained with trimmed yards, and a pleasing appearance.
The streets of Arlington Park vary from street to street in a sense that only some had sidewalks
or street lights. The streets that did have sidewalks were overgrown with grass and/or came to an abrupt
stop and while some streets had street lights, not all of the street lights worked and quite a few had loose
wires hanging from them. Once we started the first tour, I was a little concerned because everyone who
drove through the neighborhood was exceeding the speed limit and there were numerous times that I
thought my car would get hit on the side of the road. After being in the neighborhood for a while, my
group members and I got adjusted and were even comfortable with having conversations with
community members. From speaking with these community members, we learned many things that we
would not have learned by just looking through a database or the yellow pages. We learned that there
isnt much within the neighborhood for community members to do so they have to go on the outskirts
(South Elm-Eugene Road) for employment, educational classes, grocery shopping, etc. We also learned
that it is not as safe as it should be for pedestrians and cyclists because drivers like to speed through the
neighborhood.
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Arlington Park
BRANDONS WINDSHIELD TOUR (REVISED)

Arlington Park is a small neighborhood located just south of downtown Greensboro. Bordered
by major streets Martin Luther King Drive to the West and Florida Street to the South, as well as Vance
Street to the East and Andrew Street to the North, the neighborhood is laid out in a mostly grid fashion.
Two parallel streets, Caldwell and Randolph, cut through the neighborhood entirely from north to south.
The neighborhood is majority residential area, mostly consisting of single-family homes,
duplexes, and a few apartment rentals. Single-family homes were roughly the same size and age and
grouped close together, creating limited yard space. The homes showed signs of age or possibly
negligence, with paint faded and chipped away, and mold growing on the exteriors. However, there was
a great disparity among homes in the southern tip of the neighborhood. These homes appeared newer
and larger than the homes in the rest of the neighborhood and were more spread out with larger yards
and home security system warning signs placed in front. These homes were also far off the street unlike
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Arlington Park
the homes in the rest of the neighborhood. Randolph Village Apartment homes were brick buildings
arranged in a u-shape and had extensive roofing and window damage, molded exterior and overgrown
lawns.
Arlington Park is free of many commercial and industrial areas. A large transfer station sits in
the south-eastern corner of the neighborhood. ONeal Manufacturing and Carolina Steel are a few of the
industrial sites that sit just outside the neighborhood to the southwestern corner. The only real
commercial unit in the neighborhood is a Citgo gas station with a Quik Save convenience store joined
to it. The convenience store was the closest food store to the neighborhood and consisted mostly of
drinks, pre-packaged snack foods, canned foods and soups, and a few potatoes and onions. Apart from
food, the store also had toys, toiletries and some clothing.
A network of sidewalks ran through the neighborhood and were mostly on larger, more traveled
streets such as Caldwell and Randolph. A few of the side streets, such as Lucerne and Glover Street had
either one sidewalk or no sidewalk at all and also had less pedestrian traffic. The sidewalks were
generally in poor condition with cracks and broken spots, a sharp curb at the Caldwell/Burtner Street
intersection, obstructed by tree limbs or garbage on Randolph Street, and were disappearing under
erosion. The exception to the norm was the southern area with newer homes. These sidewalks were not
cracked and had a small planter strip separating the sidewalk from the road. The streets were also in
poor condition with paint fading or nonexistent and cracks and potholes. The traffic on the streets and
sidewalks were not heavy.
The resources in Arlington Park were mostly churches. The neighborhood had six churches
located within the bounds of the neighborhood, and one sitting just out of bounds. All of the churches
appeared aged from the outside, with faded paint, cracked bricks, and signs with decaying wood. New
Zion Missionary Baptist was by far the largest church in the neighborhood on MLK Drive, with the rest
of the churches only slightly larger than most homes. Guilford Child Development Center, located in
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Arlington Park
the northwest corner on Arlington Street, was a resource for not only Arlington Park, but much of
Guilford County as well. According to the sign outside the door, the Center has a head start preschool
program, a child nutrition program, childcare counseling and advice, and tutoring for English and GED.
A small park sat in the northern part of the neighborhood. Also called Arlington Park, the area was a
mostly grass area with a picnic shelter, park benches, a play structure and swing set and a two goal
basketball court. The park was a popular spot for children and teenagers on both observation days.
As I walked through the neighborhood, I was struck by a number of observations I would have
been unable to make by simply looking up the neighborhood online or in a phone book. Unfortunately,
it is impossible to look at any neighborhood objectively, as I will always look at an area through the lens
of my own upbringing. For instance, one of the greatest resources the neighborhood seemed to have, the
GCD, had a large steel fence surrounding the majority of the building, with a heavy locked gate and a
barbed-wire fenced parking lot. The whole area gave off an imposing and unwelcoming appearance to
me. I am not used to seeing such heavy security, except around the prison. Some of the other resources,
such as the churches, appeared underutilized, especially for an early Sunday afternoon when I observed.
I am used to seeing church parking lots full well into Sunday afternoon.
After doing a little online research, I was expecting the size and quality of homes in the area, as
well as the condition of the sidewalk and streets, because the demographics were similar to the Atlanta
neighborhood my brother has lived in for 6 years. However, I was not expecting the complete shift in
appearance from simply crossing Mary E. Black Street in the southern part of the neighborhood. The
two areas were so starkly different, the sight of them in the same neighborhood was astonishing. I fear
this is a gentrification project that could drive out poorer residents, if property values and rent rises.
As I walked through the neighborhood, I came across many friendly people walking down the
streets, sitting in their yard or porch, or at the park. Many residents were curious about what we were
doing in the neighborhood, but were never combative or confrontational about our presence. However,
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Arlington Park
people in power likely overlook Arlington Park. The condition of the streets, sidewalks and homes
made me think that this community likely doesnt get a lot of attention in governmental decisions. Other
than the small pocket in the southern tip of the neighborhood, the area seems mostly homogenous with
minority families living in single-family homes. Arlington Park to me looks like a neighborhood with
many areas in need of physical improvement and a bigger presence in the community from its resources.
IZAS WINDSHIELD TOUR (UNREVISED)

For our windshield tour, we surveyed the redevelopment area of Arlington Park. While alternate
sources defined the neighborhood of Arlington Park as a larger area that includes several blocks north of
Andrews street, we chose the redevelopment area because it was the area defined by the city of
Greensboro. To be perfectly honest, I was rather relieved to cover only the redevelopment area. When
driving to our neighborhood, it seemed like there were more condemned houses north of Andrews
Street, making the area feel more run down and less safe. The area defined by Andrews St., Martin
Luther King Jr. Dr., E. Florida St., and Vance St. felt more well-defined in as much as the nebulous
borders of a neighborhood can be set.
This area was comprised of residential homes with a park on the north end of Bellevue Street.
There appeared to be a gradient in the condition and age of homes starting with the southernmost homes
on Caldwell St. and Vance St. It was not lost on me that these homes were within walking distance of the
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Arlington Park
Gillespie Golf Course, a sport noted for its upper-class associations. These recently built homes
continued until Bellevue Ave, where the construction of homes returned to their Cape Cod circa 1950s
structures. Each of the new homes, which appeared constructed within the last 10-15 years, had an alarm
system sign posted visibly on the front of each house. These signs and the conditions of the homes faded
the further north one went in the neighborhood. The condition of the houses, I felt, told a greater story of
the income disparities within the neighborhood. One house might have the paint peeling off of it, so
badly was it in need of maintenance, while another house might have beautifully landscaped roses
bordering its well-maintained lawn.
Despite these disparities, I felt that the residents felt fairly safe in their neighborhood, because
quite a few families spent a pleasant evening after work out on their porches. When we drove through
the neighborhood for our first visit, it seemed like every third or fourth house had a family sitting out on
the front porch. Actually, the children were a bit of a concern to me as I was driving. In the interior of
the neighborhood, there are not sidewalks on every street, so children and adults regularly walked in the
streets with vehicle traffic. Only the outside streets like MLK Jr Dr. had regular sidewalks. I was worried
that some child might chase their basketball or football out in front of my car. I did not feel like I was in
the majority of cars worried about pedestrian safety, because I would regularly turn down a street to let a
faster car go past me.
When our group went out to walk the neighborhood, we followed the example set by the
residents and walked in the streets. The sidewalks were not in good repair, obscured by large items such
as large trash items awaiting pickup. In other places, they were overgrown and not level. This did not
feel like the neighborhood was very wheelchair accessible, even though there were at least 5 homes that
had wheelchair ramps. Almost all the resources of the neighborhood were on the outside borders of the
neighborhood. All the bus stops are located on MLK JR Dr. All the businesses were located on the
outside the neighborhood. All the schools and public services are outside the neighborhood. Only the
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Arlington Park
churches were located within the neighborhood, and these were all located on the north and north-east
blocks of the neighborhood. The location of the neighborhoods resources do not make them easily
accessible to those requiring wheelchair access. It felt as though the neighborhoods resources were only
easily accessible by car, which can limit access. The Quick Save looked like the only grocery-like store
within walking distance of the neighborhood. I say grocery-like, since the store sold a little bit of
everything including potatoes to cigarettes. I was not particularly impressed with their healthy food
options, as the only fresh food available was a crate of onions and a crate of potatoes. I noticed residents
would be walking around with a white plastic bag, likely from the Quick Save.
Our neighborhood appeared predominantly black with some white and Hispanic families. A
Hispanic family was the only one we noticed at the playground, whereas there were black families
playing on the basketball court both times we went to conduct the windshield tours. They all appeared to
observe the dusk curfew set for the parks, although we didnt stay much past 9 oclock to find out how
law-abiding the residents really were. No one felt really safe staying in the neighborhood after dark. The
parking lot by the Guilford Child Development had cleared out by 8:30 pm. I would never have been
able to make these observations without visiting the neighborhood. I would have missed out noticing
how the amount of trash and empty alcohol containers appeared to increase around empty lots. Because
of this, nobody was interested in exploring the undeveloped land. We never observed anyone loitering in
empty spaces or abandoned lots, so I can only assume the littering occurs after dark.
It was interesting to observe people taking care of their homes to the best of their abilities. One man was
replacing the windows in his home when we walked through the neighborhood. Another family was
completely engaged in household chores. It looked like the father and oldest son were mowing and
maintain the lawn, while four children washed the cars in the driveway. While there were abandoned
lots, they had been cleared. There are still several houses that are condemned in the neighborhood, but
the signs posted on them had dates in 2014. I get the impression people care about their neighborhood
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Arlington Park
and keeping it maintained. I will be curious to see what their concerns are, and what the limitations are.
For example, since I was worried about speeding increasing the risk of pedestrian accidents, I would
want speed bumps on Caldwell and Randolph to discourage speeding. This may not be a concern for the
residents. I suspect some of the concerns and limitations are financial and bureaucratic, and hopefully
our health assessment will inform us about the true concerns of the neighborhood.
LAURAS WINDSHIELD TOUR (REVISED)

The neighborhood of Arlington Park is just southeast of downtown Greensboro; its within
walking distance, but completely separate of the downtown atmosphere. My first impression of the
neighborhood on a Wednesday night was that everything was subdued; there seemed to be a lot going
on, but not out on the streets at dusk. A lot of residents sit on their front porches in the evenings,
engrossed in conversation with their friends, family, and people who walk by. Sunday was even quieter,
with most of the activity occurring around the many of the six churches in the neighborhood. The overall
image so far is that the residents are friendly, but inquisitive of the college students walking through
their neighborhood (not necessarily a bad thing).
The homes that make up the neighborhood are mostly older- many built in the early 1900s and
in badly need of repair. Many of the homes show signs of neglect, like vinyl siding buckling, mold on
the vinyl, paint chipping on exterior walls & porches, and roofs with missing shingles. Most houses are
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Arlington Park
one-story, single family homes with small yards, but there are a couple of duplexes and apartment
complexes scattered throughout the neighborhood. Yards vary in upkeep as well, some well-maintained
with mowed lawns and planted flowers, while others have grass over a foot tall. Overall, there seem to
be a lot more homes in need of a few fixes than ones without any issues. There are approximately four
homes right now that are marked as condemned and three have city notices for lack of upkeep; there
have been seven homes in the past two years that have been foreclosed and gone to auction. This is
quite a lot considering there are only about 300 homes in the neighborhood. The condemned homes are
concerning because there could possibly be other homes with similar serious issues that could raise
environmental health concerns. From what we can see about home upkeep on the outside, there could be
serious health concerns like mold, lead, asbestos, radon, pesticides/chemicals, and pests inside the
homes.
The streets of the neighborhood vary by which street youre on; some have every streetlight on at
night with sidewalks on both sides. Others have maybe half the street lights working and no sidewalks.
The streets that lacked sidewalks seemed to be the ones that cars were going over the speed limit on, but
that may have been our raised perception because we were at higher risk of being hit by a car on the
road. Most people in the neighborhood seem to own cars, but there are several bus stops on the roads
bordering the neighborhood. We also saw several people walking and biking through the neighborhood.
Overall, our group learned a lot about the neighborhood from the windshield tour because it
allowed us to interact with residents and observe some of their routines. There was one incident in which
I was questioned for taking a picture of a mans No trespassing sign, but once we explained what we
were doing, he was happy to talk to us. We were also stopped by a car while walking down Martin
Luther King Jr. Drive so they could find out what we were doing.
Access to food seems to be an issues in the neighborhood. From walking through the
neighborhood, it seems like the Quik Save convenience store is the neighborhoods closest resource for
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Arlington Park
on-the-go food options. Many people were seen walking out with two-liter soda bottles and prepackaged
snacks; this could be a health concern if that is a common ritual for residents. There arent many food
options in close proximity to the neighborhood. There is a Fairway One Stop just west of the
neighborhood and a Food Lion a mile and a half away. There are options for healthier foods at these
locations, but access to fresh fruits and vegetables may still be an issue.
There are dental and family practice locations within two miles of the neighborhood, but access
to health and wellness services is a concern. There were many handicap accessible homes in the
neighborhood, which suggests there are several people struggling with health problems.
The religious institutions are abundant in the neighborhood- there are five churches in the
neighborhood and one directly adjacent. The churches in the neighborhood were mostly empty on
Wednesday evening (despite signs saying they had Wednesday services), but several had people there
Sunday afternoon. The churches in the neighborhood seem to be an important resource for residents in
the neighborhood because of the events and fundraisers they do. The churches also seem to bring a lot of
people into the neighborhood, but it is unknown how many of these people have personal ties to the
community.
There are a couple of businesses located on the western border of the neighborhood. Both
ONeal Steel and VF Jeanswear seem like more industrial locations, whereas Nussbaum hosts small
entrepreneurship businesses. At this time, it is not known if any of these businesses provide jobs for
people in the neighborhood.
The neighborhood has a Guilford Child Development Center in it; this location provides Head
Start/ Early Head Start programs for children, as well as catering for kids, nurse family partnership,
regional child care resources and referral, and learning together family literacy. The neighborhood is
districted to Gillespie Park Elementary, which is less than a mile away from the neighborhood. The
neighborhood is districted to Kiser Middle and Grimsley High school despite there being other middle
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Arlington Park
schools (Bennett, Lincoln, and Jackson) and high school (Dudley) that are closer. There is likely a
reason why the neighborhood is districted to a school that is farther away and it would be interesting to
know how this impacts students in the neighborhood.
CHELSEAS WINDSHIELD TOUR (REVISED)

Arlington Park is a residential neighborhood located in Greensboro, NC. There are differences
in the layout of the neighborhood in the northwestern portion and southwestern portions. The
northwestern portion of Arlington Park was comprised of small unkempt single-family homes and the
southwestern portion comprised of much larger single family and renovated homes. We entered the
community by driving along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. There were accessible sidewalks on both
sides of the street one was made of brick and the other side of regular concrete. Although some parts of
the street were under construction, there were bike lanes on both sides along with streetlights. I noticed
a change in the scenery coming into the neighborhood entering from Martin Luther King Drive. Some
of the noticeable changes were that there were no sidewalks or the sidewalks were not accessible due to
overgrown grass and other debris, therefore, many people were walking along the side of the streets.
Also, I did not notice any bike lanes or crosswalks throughout the neighborhood. The industrial or
commercial areas were along the perimeter of the community, such as ONeal Steel and VF Jeanswear,
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Arlington Park
but none located inside the neighborhood. There was an Exxon gas station and convenience store
located on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, which is the nearest location of a food source for the
neighborhood.
Describing the conditions of the houses in the northwestern side, the streets of Caldwell and
Lucerne consisted of many houses were abandoned or for rent. The houses that were for rent were very
small and some of the yards were overgrown. The paint on the houses looked old and it was chipped.
Some of the homes in this area had screens on the windows or the windows were missing and some
houses had doors and windows boarded. Entering the southhwestern part of the neighborhood, the
quality of the houses improved near Mary E. Black Street and Vance Street. Some of these houses
looked newly renovated and there were paved driveways and large yards. Most of these houses had
garages and a few of the houses had flower gardens. The renovated houses had complete paint jobs and
no missing windows or condemned houses.
The conditions of the streets throughout the neighborhood of Arlington Park were fair. None of
the streets had many potholes and also lacked clear traffic direction markings. There were not stop signs
at the ends of every street. The streets in the northwestern side of the neighborhood where there were
houses for rent were small in width and the sides of the streets were cluttered with trash and grass
debris. On the opposite side of the neighborhood, there were smaller amounts of trash in the streets with
the larger single-family homes. Also, streets such as Randolph Avenue were widely lit at night
compared to Andrew Street with little lighting and abandoned homes.
The speed limit in the community was 25 mph. Most cars seemed to be going much faster than
the speed limit. I noticed a transportation bus stop along the main streets that surrounded the community
on Martin Luther King Jr. Ave, but I did not see any other bus stops inside the community. There were
not any benches next to the bus stop or a sheltered area for riders to stand.
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Arlington Park
There were about 6 churches throughout the community. The largest church was New
Missionary Zion Baptist Church on Martin Luther King Drive. Guilford Child Development Center was
located within the community on Arlington Street. This was the closest resemblance to a school-like
facility in the area. This facility offers head start, childcare resources/referrals, and has family literacy
programs. There were 2 parks within the neighborhood. Arlington Park, with a playground for children,
and another smaller park with a large grassy area and a basketball court. There were not designated
areas for parking at either of these sites. All of these resources are within close proximity so depending
on the residents location, they could walk if they choose to.
I feel that this community has a lot of potential and that it is in a process of change. Walking
through the community and talking with community residents gave me a better feel and impression on
the people who live there. I liked that I was able to see the neighborhood for myself and draw my own
observations and thoughts. The largest challenge that I feel is that I do not get a sense of common
cohesiveness in the community. I think this is due to the way that the neighborhood seems to change in
the northwestern side to the southwestern side. I was really surprised at the drastic changes of the
conditions of the houses from being abandoned and no sidewalk access to large colorfully renovated
homes on Mary E. Black Street. I cannot decipher whether the community has gradually been declining
or whether they are beginning to restore it. For such a small community, it seems that there would be
more cohesiveness in appearance and in communication. As for the residents, I felt at ease when
speaking with them. This could be because this community somewhat reminds me of my hometown.
My hometown is divided between East and West Kinston and there is that same drastic change in the
appearance after crossing into the western section of town. In the section of the neighborhood where the
houses were in worse condition, the people seemed to be friendlier and spoke to us as we went along. In
the section of the neighborhood where the houses and yards were larger and well kept, these residents
seemed more reserved. This made me feel like there may be a slight divide within the neighborhood.
41
Arlington Park
When we spoke with a couple (white female, black male) they agreed that Arlington Park was a good
neighborhood to live in and everyone looks out for one another. On the next block when we spoke to a
black male who was walking home from work. He said that you have to be careful wherever you are in
the neighborhood and lookout for yourself. These 2 informal interviews helped me see that there are
some vast differences in the neighborhood and thoughts and opinions do vary by section. If there is an
actual division in Arlington Park, I am interested to know what the differences are in areas such as
education and financial stability between the two sections of the neighborhood.
SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE
AT A GLANCE
Age
Arlington Park (Census Tract 113) has a higher percentage of 15 to 24 year olds (17.3%) than
Forsyth County, Guilford County and North Carolina. This suggests there is a greater portion of
the population who are of working age in the area and possibly the neighborhood could benefit
from more employment opportunities.
Race & Ethnicity
Arlington Park has a total population of 2,862 people.
There is a higher percentage of Black or African Americans in Arlington Park than then
comparison counties and statewide percentages combined.
Education
Page 42
Arlington Park
Residents who are under the age of 25 are less likely to have a college or high school diploma
than Guilford County and North Carolina residents.
All residents have a low college graduation rate comparatively, but some age groups (25-34 and
35-44) have a higher high school graduation rate than the county and North Carolina
comparisons.
Income/Poverty Status
The median family income in Arlington Park at $38,000/year is nearly a third less than Guilford
County, Forsyth County, and North Carolina.
Almost 20% of families in Arlington Park have income below the federal poverty level.
Home ownership vs. renter-ship, density, home value
65.5% of homes in Census Tract 113 are less than $100,000.
70.7% of residents are paying over 35% of their income on rent.
Employment/disability
Census Tract 113 has a higher percentage of those unemployed without a disability (14.8) and
has a lower number of those who are employed without a disability (54) out of Guilford County,
Forsyth County and North Carolina.
Information suggests that there may be a greater need for employment opportunities for
individuals with and without a disability in Census Tract 113.
ARLINGTON PARK COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION

43
Arlington Park
Arlington Park (Census Tract 113) is a residential development located in Greensboro, North
Carolina. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the community has a total population of 2,862 residents
with African Americans as the majority race. The data presented in this socio-demographic profile
represents a comparison of the Arlington Park community to Guilford County, Forsyth County, and
North Carolina. These were chosen as comparisons because Guilford County and North Carolina are the
next population levels above the census tract. Forsyth County was chosen because it adjacent to Guilford
and represents a similar demographic.
AGE
Table 1. Age Distribution
Census Tract 113
(Arlington Park)
Guilford County
Forsyth County
North Carolina
Estimated Population
3,074
489,576
351,368
9,544,249
Age
Est. Percentage
Est. Percentage
Est. Percentage
Est. Percentage
14 years & under
14.1%
19.3%
20.4%
19.9%
15 to 24 years
17.3%
15.6%
14%
13.9%
25 to 44 years
23%
27%
26.3%
26.9%
45 to 54 years
13.5%
14.1%
14.4%
14.2%
55 to 64 years
16.9%
11.5%
11.8%
11.9%
65 to 84 years
12.3%
11%
12.3%
11.6%
85 years +
2.9%
1.5%
1.8%
1.5%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2008-2012 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates
Page 44
Arlington Park
According to the American Community Survey 5-year Estimates, Census Tract 113 (Arlington Park)
has a greater population of 15 to 24 year olds (17.3%) than Guilford County (15.6%), Forsyth County (14%),
and North Carolina (13.9%) respectively. There is also a larger population of 55 to 64 year olds (16.9%) in
Census Tract 113 compared to Guilford (11.5%), Forsyth County (11.8%), and North Carolina (11.9%). The
Census Bureau states that focusing on populations age and sex composition is one of the most basic ways to
understand population change over time. By studying the populations age, it can reflect past and present
social and economic changes or challenges. Census Tract 113 has a higher percentage of 15 to 24 year olds
than Forsyth County, which indicates that there is a greater amount of people who are in the working age
population living in this area and need for employment could be higher in this area. Census Tract 113 has a
larger population that is 65 and older (15.2) compared to Guilford County. Since 65 years is beyond the
normal working age, this may indicate that there is a greater need for senior services in this area compared to
Guilford County as a whole.
RACE AND ETHNICITY

Table 2: Race and Ethnicity
Census Tract 113
(Arlington Park
Total Population
2,862
Total
Percent
White
132
4.6%
Black or African
2,692
90.7%
American
American Indian
7
0.2%
or Alaska Native
Asian
5
0.2%
Native Hawaiian
0
0
or Other Pacific
Islander
Other
67
2.3%
Guilford County
Forsyth County
North Carolina
488,406
Total
Percent
278,525
57%
158,899 32.5%
350,670
Total
Percent
218,517 62.3%
91,227
26.0%
9,535,483
Total
Percent
6,528,483 68.5%
2,048,628 21.5%
2,584
0.5%
1,457
0.4%
122,110
1.3%
19,176
235
3.9%
0
6,495
223
1.9%
0.1%
208,928
6,604
2.2%
0.1%
17,675
3.6%
25,167
7.2%
414,030
4.3%
Source: factfinder2.census.gov; U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 American Community Survey
Race and ethnicity are important health indicators in the United States. Some races and
ethnicities are more susceptible to certain health issues, such as heart disease and high blood pressure,
45
Arlington Park
which makes it more important to look further into the racial and ethnic demographics. Also, there is
often a discrepancy with quality of care between minority and non-minority populations. Census Tract
113 (Arlington Park) has a total population of 2,862 people. According to the 2010 United States
Census, Census Tract 113 (Arlington Park) has a higher percentage of Blacks or African Americans
(90.7%) than North Carolina, Guilford County, and Forsyth County. Since there is a high relative
African American population, there may be a greater need for health interventions for this group based
on health equity and health disparities.
EDUCATION
Table 3. Educational Attainment across Population Age Subgroups
Census Tract 113
(Arlington Park)
Guilford County
Forsyth County
North Carolina
2,511
375,173
266,092
7,269,311
402
56,617
35,231
945,192
Total Population
18-24 years old
Less than high school
33.1%
13.4%
19.1%
17.5%
High school graduate
34.3%
25.7%
31.2%
29.2%
Some college or Associates
32.6%
51.3%
39%
44.9%
Bachelors degree or higher
0%
9.7%
10.7%
8.4%
25-34 years old
335
64,876
45,100
1,246,313
High school graduate or higher
91.3%
87.8%
84.3%
85.3%
22.1%
34.9%
32.8%
29.8%
Page 46
Arlington Park
35-44 years old
372
67,417
47,409
1,329,005
97%
89%
88.6%
87.6%
16.7%
36.5%
34.6%
30.4%
45-64 years old
936
125,296
92,428
2,500,832
75.9%
90.8%
91%
87.6%
18.7%
34.2%
33.8%
30.4%
65 years old +
466
60,967
45,924
1,247,969
67.6%
78.6%
80/9%
74.5%
22.5%
24.8%
23%
19.9%
According to the 2008-2012 American Community 5-Year Estimates Survey, Arlington Park and
Census Tract 113 are falling behind Guilford County, Forsyth County, and North Carolina in education
attainment. In the 18-24 year old age group, 33.1% of the residents in Census Tract 113 did not obtain a
high school diploma; this is high compared to Guilford County (13.4%) and North Carolina (17.5%).
However, that age group has a higher rate of high school graduates than the county or state levels, but
this is because there are fewer residents attending college and graduating college than at the higher
population levels. Census Tract 113 consistently has much lower Bachelors degree numbers across each
age group compared to Guilford County, Forsyth County, and North Carolina. In the 18-24 year old age
group, Arlington Park has 0 residents who have obtained a Bachelors degree or higher. Also, the older
populations (45 years old and up) in the census tract have much lower high school graduation and
college graduation numbers than their county and state counterparts. The 25-34 and 35-44 age groups
have a greater high school graduation rate compared to the county and state numbers, but have a very
low college graduation rate. Education has an impact on income, which has a direct effect on health and
access to proper health.
47
Arlington Park
INCOME & POVERTY STATUS

Table 4. Family Income Statistics from American Community Survey
Census Tract 113, Guilford County
Forsyth County
(Arlington Park)
Median family income $38,152
$59,244
$60,094
Mean family income
$47,519
$78,517
$78,780
Number of Families
686
122,204
88,497
Percent Est.
Percent Est.
Percent Est.
Less than $10,000
5.4%
5.3%
5.5%
$10,000 to $14,999
9.6%
3.7%
3.5%
$15,000 to $24,999
12.0%
8.6%
9.3%
$25,000 to $34,999
20.0%
10.3%
10.4%
$35,000 to $49,999
18.4%
14.4%
12.9%
$50,000 to $74,999
17.6%
19.2%
19.8%
$75,000 to $99,999
8.2%
13.7%
13.8%
$100,000 to $149,999
7.6%
14.4%
14.8%
$150,000 to $199,999
1.3%
5.6%
4.7%
$200,000 or more
0.0%
4.8%
5.1%
North Carolina
$57,146
$74,684
2,464,763
Percent Est.
5.4%
3.7%
9.5%
10.6%
14.5%
20.0%
13.9%
13.6%
4.6%
4.2%
Table 5. Percent of families with income below the federal poverty level in the past 12 months
Page 48
Arlington Park
Census Tract
113
(Arlington
Park)
Guilford
County, North
Carolina
Forsyth
County, North
Carolina
North Carolina
Percent
Percent
Margin
of Error
Percent
Percent
Margin
of Error
Percent
Percent
Margin
of Error
Percent
Percent
Margin
of Error
All families
With related children
under 18 years
under 5 years only
Married couple families
19.8%
31.2%
12.3%
19.4%
+/-0.7
+/-1.1
13.0%
21.8%
+/-0.7
+/-1.4
12.4%
19.8%
+/-0.2
+/-0.3
22.1%
+/-2.9
24.1%
+/-3.6
21.2%
+/-0.7
5.0%
+/-0.5
4.9%
+/-0.7
5.8%
+/-0.1

under 18 years
under 5 years only
Families with female
householder, no husband
present
under 18 years
under 5 years only
25.8%
+/-9.3
+/17.5
+/55.8
+/15.0
+/35.6
+/82.3
+/12.0
7.8%
+/-1.1
8.5%
+/-1.3
8.7%
+/-0.3
7.1%
+/-2.1
8.2%
+/-3.4
7.9%
+/-0.6
30.6%
+/-2.0
37.1%
+/-2.3
34.0%
+/-0.5
+/20.6
+/100.0
38.4%
+/-2.6
46.1%
+/-3.0
42.8%
+/-0.6
49.3%
+/-6.8
55.8%
+/-7.3
51.6%
+/-1.6
31.8%
9.6%
0.0%
26.7%
33.9%
100.0
%
Family income was selected for comparison between Arlington Park and the other groups
because it serves as the basis for federal estimates of the poverty level. Families whose income is below
the federal poverty level qualify for federal assistance programs, such as food stamps. As defined by the
U.S. Census Bureau (2013), a family is any group of 2 people or more who live together and are related by
blood, adoption, or are married. Based off the data from the American Community Survey, families in
Census Tract 113, which contains Arlington Park, make significantly less income compared to Guilford
County, Forsyth County, and North Carolina residents. At only $38,000, the median family income of
Arlington Park households is almost one third less than the median family income of the other groups.
Almost one third of Arlington Park families make less than $25,000 a year and up to 20% of all families in
Arlington Park have income below the poverty line. However, the percentages of different family types with
income below the federal poverty line had very large margins of error. Because these margins of error were
so large, it meant that the census bureau did not have sufficient data to make accurate predictions. For
49
Arlington Park
example, the ACS survey estimates that 100% of families with a female householder, no husband present,
with children under the age of 5 had income below the federal poverty line, but the margin of error for this
estimate was 100%. This means that this statistic from the census bureau should not be used to justify things
like a food stamp programs for single mothers, because the census bureau did not have enough data to
identify if all such households in the neighborhood really were below the federal poverty line. An additional
survey of the neighborhood would be necessary to obtain the data to identify the need for food stamp
programs in the neighborhood.
HOMEOWNERSHIP
Table 6. Housing Characteristics across Geographical Area
Census Tract
113 (Arlington
Park)
Guilford
County
Forsyth County
North Carolina
1,276
193,890
139,033
3,693,221
Percent Est.
Percent Est.
Percent Est.
Percent Est.
Less than $50,000
1.8%
3.9%
5.3%
9.7%
$50,000-$99,999
63.7%
18.3%
15.6%
18.1%
$100,000-$149,999
21.9%
25.3%
27.1%
20.6%
$150,000-$199-999
6.8%
18.9%
22.6%
17.4%
$200,000 or more
5.8%
33.6%
28.3%
34.1%
Occupied housing units

Home Value
Page 50
Arlington Park
Housing Tenure
Owner-Occupied
55.7%
62.5%
64.7%
67.1%
Renter-Occupied
44.3%
37.5%
35.3%
32.9%
Less than 25%
11.6%
37.8%
36.3%
38.3%
25-34.9%
17.7%
21.3%
20.7%
19.9%
35% or more
70.7%
40.9%
43.0%
41.8%
Gross Rent as a Percentage

of Household Income
(GRAPI)
The table of housing characteristics shows housing disparities between Arlington Park (Census
Tract 113), Guilford County, Forsyth County, and North Carolina. Home values in Arlington Park show
little variance, with the majority (63.7%) of homes falling in the $50,000-$99,999 range. Compared to
only 18.3 % of homes in Guilford County, 15.6% of homes in Forsyth County, and 18.1% of homes in
the entire state of North Carolina that fall into this range, home value in Arlington Park is significantly
lower. This becomes even more pronounced when looking at the data for both homes in the $150,000$199,999 range and homes in the $200,000 or more range. Adding up these percentages for each
geographic area show that Arlington Park has only 12.6% of the homes valued above $150,000 while
every other geographic region in the table have over half the homes in their area valued at over
$150,000. These values, along with the comparatively high percentage of rented homes in Arlington
Park (44.7% compared to 37.5%, 35.3% and 32.9% in Guilford, Forsyth, and North Carolina
respectively) and the GRAPI of the area (70.7% of Arlington Park residents are spending over 35% of
their income on rent, compared to 40.9%, 43.0% and 41.8% of Guilford, Forsyth and North Carolina
respectively) show that residents of Arlington Park are paying significantly more of their monthly
income on cheaper homes. With so many residents spending money on housing, this leaves less income
51
Arlington Park
for other resources. Any interventions that are explored should provide minimal to no economic
burdens on residents that have to put this much income into housing.
EMPLOYMENT & DISABILITY

Table 7. Employment and Disability
Population
Census Tract 113

(Arlington Park)
Estimate
Number
Percent
%
Guilford County
Estimate
Number
Percent
%
312,606
Forsyth County
Estimate
Number
Percent
%
218,545
North Carolina
Estimate
Number
Percent
%
Total
2,034
5,862,832
In Labor Force
1,561
76.7
244,627
78.3
167,229
76.5
4,482,689
76.5
Employed
1,196
58.8
219,342
70.2
150,684
68.9
4,020,049
68.6
With Disability
98
4.8
8,952
2.9
5,413
2.5
214,775
3.7
W/O Disability
1,098
54
210,390
67.3
145,271
66.4
3,805,274
64.9
Unemployed
365
17.9
25,285
8.1
16,545
7.6
462,640
7.9
Page 52
Arlington Park
With Disability
63
3.1
2,148
0.7
1,750
0.8
52,904
0.9
W/O Disability
302
14.8
23,137
7.4
14,795
6.8
409,736
Not in Labor
Force
473
23.3
67,979
21.7
51,316
23.5
1,380,143
23.5
With Disability
141
6.9
15,238
4.8
12,042
5.5
397,975
6.8
W/O Disability
332
16.3
52,741
16.9
39,274
18
982,168
16.7
Source: factfinder2.census.gov; U.S. Census Bureau, 2008-2012 American Community Survey
Based on the definition set forth by the U.S. Census Bureau (2012), the labor force expressed in
the employment and disability data provided in the above table is defined as individuals 18 to 64 years
of age. The population of those with a disability and their employment status is a vital indicator of a
geographical areas health. However, it is also important to mention the impact that health has on
employment. A healthy workforce contributes to economic success and helps to increase efficiency and
productivity (Doyle, Kavanagh, Metcalfe, & Lavin). The table provided above offers some insight into
how Census Tract 113 (Arlington Park) compares to the county in which it is located, Guilford County;
a neighboring county, Forsyth County; and with the state of North Carolina. The row titled total in the
table above describes the estimated number of individuals in each given area in regards to employment
and disability status. This data shows that while Census Tract 113 (76.7) and Guilford County (78.3)
have close percentages of individuals in the labor force, Census Tract 113 has the highest percentage of
all geographic areas of individuals employed (4.8) and unemployed (3.1) with a disability. Forsyth
County has the lowest percentage of individuals in the labor force who are employed with a disability
(2.5).When looking at Guilford County, Forsyth County, and North Carolina percentages of individuals
unemployed without a disability (7.4, 6.8 and 7), these percentages are a small fraction of the percentage
of individuals who are employed without a disability (67.3, 66.4, and 64.9). However, Census Tract 113
has a higher percentage of those unemployed without a disability (14.8) and has a lower number of those
53
Arlington Park
who are employed without a disability (54) out of all the geographical areas. This information suggests
that there may be a greater need for employment opportunities for individuals with and without a
disability in Census Tract 113.
ETHNOGRAPHIC INTERVIEWS
AT A GLANCE
Education
Community leaders realize the importance of education and strive to encourage residents to as
well.
Both parents and children need to value education for mutual success. -Mr. Britt, Executive
Director at Guilford Child Development Center.
Role models
The high school dropout rate can be partly attributed to the lack of role models in the
neighborhood. -Reverend Wright, pastor at New Zion Missionary Baptist Church.
Page 54
Arlington Park
The community needs more strong black male role models to lead the youth, showing them how
to be fathers and men. -Robert Caple, Vice President of the Neighborhood Association.
Teen Pregnancy
27% of teen births are second births. -Mr. Britt, Executive Director at Guilford Child
Development Center.
Neighborhood Improvements
Residents of Arlington Park understand their individual responsibilities when it comes to

improving the neighborhood, such as reporting broken street lights or maintaining their homes in
accordance with HOA guidelines.
However, it is more difficult for residents to understand how city regulations, such as zoning,
improve the neighborhood. The point of changing zoning is to increase employment
opportunities within Arlington Park, but the different zoning plans confused residents.
Outsider Perception
There are housing projects in the area and that is sometimes associated with low income
individuals with crime. Ignorance of people has created this problem and we are here trying to
change this perception of the area by operating here. -Clay Howard, Vice President Nussbaum
Center for Entrepreneurship.
Arlington Park is a community in need but I believe there is still pride in Arlington Park
through the Neighborhood Association, separate from Ole Asheboro Square.-Mr. Britt,
Executive Director Guilford Child Development Center.
Access to Quality Food

55
Arlington Park
The neighborhood is in a food desert and residents lack access to nutritious and fresh foods.Robert Caple, Vice President of the Neighborhood Association.
Both Reverend Wright of New Zion Missionary Baptist Church and Mr. Britt of Guilford Child
Development are working to create sustainable programs to combat some of the hunger issues in
the neighborhood.
Employment
"There are employment issues in the neighborhood, you can tell by the 20-25 people hanging out
on the corner across from the store. Shows an economic trend of people getting cut off from
opportunity." --Reverend Wright
People in the community suffer from financial troubles due to lack of employment
METHODS
After gaining knowledge about Arlington Park by walking throughout the community and
conducting a windshield tour, the group discovered that there were six churches, signs for a community
watch association, the Guilford Child Development Center and a few companies within or bordering the
neighborhood that may have an impact on the residents of the area. We used these established
organizations to identify community leaders and residents to interview within the community. After the
interview candidates were contacted and agreed an interview, one group member met with the
interviewee to ask them the interview questions while another group member attended to take field
notes. Iza and Heather were the exceptions, as they conducted the interviews and took the field notes
alone.
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Arlington Park
Laura contacted the Greensboro Police Department, via phone, about the community watch
program and Officer Campbell recommended Robert Caple as a key informant. Mr. Caple is the vice
president of the Arlington Park Neighborhood Association. As a group, we felt that he would be
knowledgeable about the challenges and improvements that the community is currently making. This
interview occurred after an Olde Asheboro Neighborhood Association meeting in the basement of the
Nettie Coade Apartment Complex on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, which was attended by Laura,
Brandon, Iza, and Heather.
To see what presence churches have in the community and how ministers serve as community
leaders, Brandon interviewed Reverend William Wright. He is the lead pastor at one of the largest
churches in the community, New Zion Missionary Baptist Church, and has been there for over three
decades.
The Guilford Child Development Center, in the northwest corner of the community at the
intersection of Arlington and Andrew Street, was the closest facility to a community center that we
found in the neighborhood and felt it was a viable resource that directly serves the community. Gabrielle
wanted to speak to someone at the center and looked up the staff members information on their website.
She found Robin Britt as the executive director of the Guilford Child Development Center and contacted
him via email.
Iza interviewed Russell Barrett who works with the Washington Group, a real estate inspection
service company located on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Mr. Barrett was referred to Iza due to his
knowledge about the history of Arlington Park after she spoke to an attorney at the Washington Group.
This interview was formally conducted on the phone.
With most companies laying outside of the communitys borders, as a group we felt it was
important to discover the impact at least one of these industries may have on the residents. Sam
57
Arlington Park
Funchess is the president and CEO of the Nussbaum Center for Entrepreneurship located on S. ElmEugene Street and was contacted via email to set up an appointment for an interview by Heather.
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Defining the Community (Resident) Interview questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
How would you describe this community?

What types of people live here?
Do you belong to any groups or clubs?
What do people who live here do to meet basic needs such as
get money
find a job
get food
find housing
recreation
protection
education
make friends
transportation
health care
religion
What are some of the best things about living here?
What are some things the community could do to make this a better place to live?
What do you and others do to stay healthy?
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8.
9.
10.
What health problems have you and your family had to deal with?
What are some of the major concerns about living here? What are the causes for these problems?
Are there problems that the community is currently trying to address? Who are important people
11.
helping to solve those problems? What are the solutions they are trying?
How has the community changed since you have been a resident in the neighborhood?
Community Leaders Interview Questions:

1. How long have you lived in the community? Why did you choose to move to the area?
2. Have most people lived here a long time or are there a lot of people moving in and out?
3. When did you develop a role with the (insert company name or association group)? Why did you get
involved?
4. How would you describe this community? (try to see what important characteristics people use to
describe the community without suggesting which characteristics the researcher might feel are
important)
5. What has changed the most over the time period that youve lived here? Can you give us a brief history?
6. Who are the leaders within the community that are most concerned about the following issues: health;
housing; employment; education; children; recreation; crime; physical conditions; etc. (probe for other
areas).
7. Tell us a little about the residents
Where do they work? Close or far away? Are there issues with employment?
Where do they get food?
What do they do for recreation?
Do residents mostly attend the churches in the area?
What do they do for healthcare?
Main modes of transportation?
Education? Are there many young residents in schools? Have there been any issues with schools?
What do residents do for protection?

8. What are some of the best things about this community?
9. What are some of the major problems that this community has? What are the causes for these problems?
10. What are some things the community could do to make this a better place to live?
11. What are some things that you would like to see change in the next 5 years?
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RESULTS/THEMES
Before we set up any interviews, the group discussed what themes we wanted to analyze
regarding Arlington Park. The group decided we should let the interviewees reveal the themes by letting
them talk about what they thought was important. To accomplish this, interview questions were
intentionally broad and open-ended, such as, what would you change about the community? and,
what do you like best about your community? so the interviewees had the opportunity to discuss
whatever they thought was most important. As a group, we reviewed the wide variety of subjects our
interviews covered. By discussing the subjects with each other, we found our interviews had certain
issues that multiple interviewees thought were important, and many subjects were repeated in multiple
interviews. Once we agreed upon the common concerns expressed by our interviewees, we decided they
were important themes because they were discussed by multiple community leaders and residents. The
themes that we found are education, teen pregnancy, role models, neighborhood improvements, outside
perception of the neighborhood, and access to quality foods
EDUCATION
Education is an issue in the Arlington Park neighborhood. Residents and local leaders feel that
the kids in the neighborhood dont see the value in an education- they think about what is going on in
their life right now and not in the future. Robert Caple talked about how kids in the neighborhood dont
see the value of staying out of trouble and working towards college or a job. Reverend Wright
mentioned that many kids dont think its cool to be smart and they drop out of school; they dont have
role models or family that see the value of an education and encourage them to stay in school. He also
said that the young men and women of the area value the hip-hop lifestyle instead (drugs, cars, money,
etc) and hes had to bury too many of these kids who have gotten into trouble. Robin Britt talked about
how it is critical to invest in the early years of a childs life so they can be ready for school and succeed.
Mr. Britt works at the Guilford Child Development Center, which starts educating parents before the
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child is even born to provide high-quality early education for the child and job training for the parents.
This program is working to engage the parent so that both the parent and the child value education for
mutual success.
ROLE MODELS
The Arlington Park youth suffer from a lack of quality role models. Many of the interviewees
spoke of how children in the neighborhood deal with drugs, dropping out of school and teen pregnancy
on a daily basis. According to the interviews, the lack of role models in the community keep the youth
from seeing a way outside of the cycle of these issues. Robert Caple mentioned the significant number
of single parent homes in the neighborhood where youth do not have strong mentorship. He continued to
state that this is one of the reasons he feels there is high dropout rate of high school teenagers in the
neighborhood. He said that the neighborhood youth, think its normal for men to go to jail and for
teenage girls to have babies. Reverend William Wright blames some of the neighborhood issues on the
hip-hop culture that the youth has grown up with. Glorification of drugs, women and violence in hip-hop
music has caused many of the children to idealize the things they hear in the music. The youth lack
quality role models, and look up to the drug dealers on the street, which have been in and out of prison.
Reverend Wright also mentioned how kids, dont think being smart is cool, so many of them drop-out
to join the many of their peers that get caught in the cycle of drug-dealing and crime. He agreed with Mr.
Caple that there is a sense of complacency in the neighborhood with many of the issues they face, that
unfortunately this is the norm. He believes the youth, most specifically black males, need better role
models that have an education and are being active fathers to their children to show them how to be a
man. Mr. Britt has worked to remedy the lack of role models by providing families with a family
advocate. These advocates work with the families and children to improve the condition and quality of
family life through mentorship.
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PREGNANCY
The interviews with community leaders and residents targeted on teen pregnancy as a prominent
issue in the Arlington Park community. Mr. Caple, from the neighborhood association stated, Its great
to produce a child, but its not good if youre not able to support that child. A baby is a blessing, but you
need to be able to support your child. Mr. Caple also addressed the fact that the children of the teen
mothers see this cycle as normal so the cycle continues to happen. When asked his thoughts on teen
pregnancy, Reverend Wright stated, We have babies raising babies. He went further on to discuss how
people are not thinking of possible outcomes when they give into their needs. Mr. Robin Britt shared
some statistics on teen pregnancy with us. He informed us that 27% of teen births are 2nd births - which
means that there are teens under the age of 19 years old with two children. He also informed us of how
costly childcare can be; childcare for two children under the age of five years old may be about $1,500 a
month. The Guilford Child Development Center works with people who are in a crisis situation (earning
less than $100/week) with their scholarship program funded by United Way.
NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENTS
Neighborhood improvements within the community were a concern for both residential members
and community leaders alike, although specific duties were less clear as they progressed from
individuals to organizations. Mr. Barrett explained that residents of Arlington Park are responsible for
keeping their home in accordance with neighborhood code. While Mr. Caple mentioned that residents
would work together to report sidewalks or light posts that needed repair to Neighborhood Association
members or the City of Greensboro. This information offers insight about what community members
may want to see improvements on in their neighborhood and about how much they want to contribute
with the efforts to make Arlington Park a better place. Reverend Wright is working to build a community
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center aimed to provide resources to the neighborhood. Their goal is for community involvement and
inclusion so they can bring people together and help residents; but, the community has not supported all
of the goals of the church. For example, Reverend Wright wanted to build a shelter for battered women
and prostitutes in the neighborhood, since prostitution was a problem for the area. The idea was stopped
because community leaders didnt consider those women residents of the neighborhood. In addition,
there are still some thing that may hinder improvement in the short term. According to Mr. Britt,
unemployment became an issue for the neighborhood when Burlington Industries went out of business
and large corporations left the area. Without more employment opportunities, residents will not have the
financial means to contribute towards continuing neighborhood improvement.
When it came to organizational improvements, residents did not appear to understand the process
very well. Many questions were repeated at the neighborhood association meeting, as residents tried to
understand the differences between mixed use, vertical use, commercial, and residential zoning. The city
representative explained the importance of the two zoning projects. One zoning project was slated for
mixed use, so that a large business like Family Dollar could operate within the Arlington Park and Old
Asheboro neighborhoods in the hopes of increasing employment opportunities within the neighborhood.
The other zoning project was for a large residential area to support an apartment complex with on-site
management to attract a commercial rental property to the area. The goal of having a large rental
property was to keep rent affordable for residents and avoid gentrification. Residents at the meeting
repeated questions about the differences between zoning projects, demonstrating a lack of understanding
about how the projects worked and what responsibilities the neighborhood association had with city
council in order to move the projects forward. The lack of understanding was concerning since the
projects were designed to benefit the neighborhood by increasing employment and housing
opportunities.
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OUTSIDER PERCEPTION
Perception of how Arlington Park is viewed by individuals not from the community was a topic
expressed by both community residents and leaders. Sam Funchess and his vice president Clay Howard
want to change individuals perception on the neighborhood. Clay stated that businesses that they work
with on occasions have referred to their location as that neighborhood and they consistently ask them
why they moved there. Sam and his colleague want people to realize that this is a safe area. One way
they are helping to change the perception of the area is being seen doing more activities such as
community events, hosting events, and helping others start events. They are contributing to changing the
fear associated with the area which both men agreed that may be associated with the housing projects in
the area and that is sometimes considered to be low income individuals that may contribute to criminal
acts. Ignorance of people has created this problem and Sam says they are there trying to change this
perception of the area by operating their business in the community. Mr. Britt from the Guilford
Childhood Development Center mentioned crime in the neighborhood as something others notice before
entering the community. Years ago one of his employees got shot in the parking lot outside the facility, a
drug dealer used to live across the street from the building and at one point in time street walkers
roamed the area. He continues to say that he knows Arlington Park is a community in need. Other
members of the community such as Reverend Wright was quoted saying that The community hasnt
lost sight of itself and Mr. Barrett believes there is still pride in Arlington Park through the
Neighborhood Association, separate from Ole Asheboro Square.
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ACCESS TO QUALITY FOOD

Most of the grocery stores in the area are not in walking distance and theres only one fast food
option, Churchs Chicken, in the community. Arlington Park is a food desert, admitted Robert Caple.
Although he knows a new Walmart and the promise of a new Family Dollar store will increase the food
options, finding nutritious and fresh foods is an issue. Reverend Wright hopes to fix some of the food
access issues in the neighborhood by providing nutrition education and possibly a farmers market when
New Zion Baptist Church builds its Family Life Center just outside of the neighborhood boundaries.
Right now the church helps provide families with food when they need it, but he would like to create
something more sustainable that will empower people to help themselves. Nutrition and food access also
came up in Robin Britts interview; he is noted as saying a lot of families in the neighborhood go hungry
and there is a lack of quality food. The Guilford Child Development Center is trying to help with the
access to food by providing a food pantry open to the public every Thursday and a backpack program
that gives kids food for the weekend every Friday to combat some of the hunger issues.
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EMPLOYMENT
The need for employment was a large concern presented during the interview with Mr. Doe. He
stated that he had been out of work for several years after being laid off from a construction site.
Because his mother was sick for several years prior to her passing, being unemployed was not such a
large issue because his priority was to care for her. Now that she is no longer living, he said that he has
more time on his hands but he has been unsuccessful in finding work. During the interview, he
mentioned that he dropped out of high school. Therefore, lack of an education may be a factor hindering
his employment opportunities. Mr. Doe also mentioned how the dynamics of the neighborhood have
changed and are different from when he was growing up. He felt that there are more babies having
babies and people in the neighborhood are not striving to their full potential. He said that the youth of
the community can become better but they do not seem like a tight knit group the way that young people
were when he was growing up.
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HEALTH PROFILE
AT A GLANCE
Leading Causes of Mortality
2/3 of all deaths were due to chronic diseases, including all cancers, diseases of the heart, and
chronic respiratory disease.
Guilford County had a higher homicide rate (6.3 per 100,000) between 2008-2012 than both
Forsyth County (5.0 per 100,000) and North Carolina (6.0 per 100,000)
Birth Statistics
There were a total of 30,747 live births in North Carolina in 2013; Guilford County made up
6,149 of those live births. Forsyth County had 4,522 live births.
278 infant deaths in Guilford County and 238 in Forsyth County in 2013.
Maternal, Infant and Child Health
Minorities and women with low income are more prone to have babies with low birth weights.
9.42% of live births in Guilford County are below normal birth weight.
Access to Healthcare
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Arlington Park
In 2012, Guilford County had 8.46 primary care physicians per 10,000 residents and Forsyth
County had 12.21 per 10,000 residents.
Approximately 16.4% of Guilford County residents dont have health insurance. This is higher
than both Forsyth County (15.9%) and North Carolina (16.2%).
Tobacco
County Health Rankings and Roadmaps organization rank Guilford County at 17% for adult
tobacco smoking. This is lower than the 20% average for Forsyth County, and the state of North
Carolina.
Environmental Quality
The air quality of Guilford County was consistently higher than both North Carolina and the
United States.
In 2010, Guilford County had a rate of 128.6 per 100,000 discharges for children 0-14 with the
primary diagnosis of asthma.
Social Determinants of Health
Education and low income served as leading health indicators in Arlington Park for poor health
outcomes.
High school education levels occurred jointly with low health insurance levels.
Obesity and Physical Activity
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From 2010-2014 there was a minute decrease in adult obesity in Guilford County at 27%, down
one percentage from 28%.
Currently, Guilford County has 1 in 4 residents who are physically inactive, while Forsyth
County has approximately 1 in 5.
When it comes to limited access to healthy foods and food insecurity Forsyth County is the worst
at 6.3 on the food environment index compared to Guilford County at 6.5 and North Carolina at
6.9.
LEADING CAUSES OF MORTALITY

Chart 1. Leading Causes of Mortality 2009-2012
Leading Causes of Mortality 2008-2012

(in rates per 100,000 people)
6
5
6.3
12.1
11.5
9.9
Homicide
Suicide
21.8
19.7
15.6
29.4
28.1
29.3
Diabetes mellitus
Non-motor unintentional injuries
Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease
38.1
46.6
50
Diseases of the Heart
146.4
154.1
174.4
175.9
181.7
166.6
All Cancers
0
20
40
60
Guilford Co
80
Forsyth Co
100
120
140
160
180
200
NC
Source: North Carolina Center for Health Statistics, 2012

Data is age-adjusted to the 2000 US Census
Between 2008 and 2012, cancer (any type) and heart disease were the leading causes of death in
Guilford County, Forsyth County, and North Carolina.
About two-thirds of all deaths were due to chronic diseases, including cancers, heart disease, stroke,
Alzheimers disease, chronic lower respiratory disease and diabetes.
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The mortality rates for diseases of the heart are much lower in Forsyth County (146.6 per 100,000)
and Guilford County (154.1 per 100,000) than North Carolina as a whole (184.4 per 100,000).
Guilford County had a higher homicide rate (6.3 per 100,000) between 2008 to 2012 than both
Forsyth County (5.0 per 100,000) and North Carolina (6.0 per 100,000).
Guilford County had the lowest overall mortality rate of the three between 2008 and 2012 with
19,034 deaths and an age-adjusted rate of 757.3 per 100,000. Forsyth followed with 14,766 deaths
and an age-adjusted rate of 789.4 per 100,000. North Carolina was the highest with 394,087 deaths
and an age-adjusted rate of 826.2 per 100,000.
BIRTH STATISTICS
Table 8. Number and Percent of Low and Very Low Birth Rates by Race and Ethnicity, 2008-2012
Low Birth Weight
( 2,500 grams)
Total Births
White Births
African American
Births
Hispanic Births
Very Low Birth Weight
( 1,500 grams)
Total Births
White Births
African American
Births
Hispanic Births
Guilford County
Forsyth County
North Carolina
2,917 (9.5%)
905 (7.1%)
1,539 (12.8%)
2,475 (10.4%)
909 (8.4%)
1,083 (16.1%)
56,086 (9.0%)
26,156 (7.6%)
20,791 (14.1%)
272 (6.7%)
419 (7.4%)
6,279 (6.5%)
629 (2.0%)
166 (1.3%)
370 (3.1%)
530 (2.2%)
157 (1.4%)
273 (4.1%)
10,920 (1.8%)
4,525 (1.3%)
4,832 (3.3%)
69 (1.7%)
93 (1.6%)
1,117 (1.2%)
Source: North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics, 2014
Table 9. NC Resident Infant (< year) Death Rates per 1,000 Live Births, 2008-2012
Total Infant Deaths

Total Infant Death Rate
per 1,000 live births
White Infant Death Rate
African American Infant
Death Rate
Guilford County
Forsyth County
North Carolina
278
9.0
238
10.0
4,675
7.5
5.5
13.6
7.0
19.1
5.6
14.0
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Hispanic Infant Death

Rate
8.9
5.5
5.3
Non-Hispanic Infant
Death Rate
4.4
4.9
5.9
According to the Guilford County Department of Public Health Community Assessment,

Preterm births and low birth weight births tend to be concentrated in [Southeast] and East
Greensboro areas with lower average incomes and higher proportions of minority residents (Guilford
County Department of Public Health, 2013). Therefore, minorities and women with low income are
more prone to having babies that are at a low birth weight (less than 2,500 grams). There are 9.5% of
live births in Guilford County are below the normal birth weight (2,500 3,999 grams) and most of
these births occur with women whose age ranges from 25 34 years old (North Carolina State Center
for Health Statistics, 2014). Maternal age, in addition to socioeconomic status, are the main
determinants of low birth weight (The Trustees of Princeton University, 2013). At this time, Guilford
Countys rate of low birth weight is considerably higher than national benchmarks and objectives
(Guilford County Department of Public Health, 2013). This is an issue because children born preterm
and at a low birth weight are more at risk for developmental problems, neurological impairments, higher
risk of heart problems, and respiratory problems later in life (Guilford County Department of Public
Health, 2013).
Complications with low birth weight and preterm birth are the leading causes of infant mortality
in the United States (Maternal and Child Health Bureau, 2013). According to the North Carolina State
Center for Health Statistics, there were 30,747 live births from 2008-2012 in North Carolina. Out of
these 30,747 live births, there were 278 infant deaths in Guilford County and 238 infant deaths in
Forsyth County. African American infant deaths make up the largest rate by race in Guilford County;
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however, this infant mortality rate is positive because it has declined by 42% between 2009 and 2012
(Guilford County Department of Public Health, 2013).
CHILD AND MATERNAL HEALTH

Table 10. Live Births by Sex
Guilford County
Forsyth County
North Carolina
6,169
4,452
118,983
Males
3,102
2,273
60,563
Females
3,067
2,249
58,418
Total Live Births
According to the North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics, there were a total of 118,983
live births in North Carolina in 2013 (North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics, 2014). In
comparison to Forsyth Countys 4,452 live births, Guilford County had a total of 6,169 live birth rates.
Statistics show that 9.42% of live births in Guilford County are below normal birth weight and also that
minorities and women with low income are more prone to have babies with low birth weights (North
Carolina State Center for Health Statistics, 2014).
The Guilford County Health Assessment for 2014 identifies poor birth outcomes as a priority
health concern. It is important for pregnant women to have a preconception of health and a healthy
lifestyle to produce positive birth outcomes (Guilford County Department of Public Health, 2013).
Access to prenatal care is crucial to producing more positive birth outcomes in Guilford County.
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ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE
Chronic diseases are the leading causes of death and disability in the United States (Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). Chronic disease prevention and management is crucial to
preventing death in North Carolina, but access to healthcare and these services makes this possible. In
2012, Guilford County had 8.46 primary care physicians per 10,000 residents and Forsyth County has
12.21 per 10,000 residents (North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics, 2014). Research has
shown that an increase of one primary care physician per 10,000 people results in an average all-cause
mortality reduction of 5.3%, or 49 per 100,000 people (Macinko, 2007). Access to effective and timely
primary care is critical for preventing, identifying, and treating chronic diseases that lead to a high
mortality rate, but people without health insurance are less likely to have access to this care and are
more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage, receive less treatment, and have a higher mortality rate than
people with health insurance (Guilford County Department of Public Health, 2013).
There were 79,688 people without health insurance in Guilford County (approximately 16.4% of
the population) from 2008-2012 (US Census Bureau, 2012). The percentage of the population that is
uninsured in Guilford County is higher than both Forsyth County (55,346 people uninsured, 15.9% of
the population) and North Carolina (1,511,700 people uninsured, 16.2% of the population) for the same
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time period (US Census Bureau, 2012). However, Census Tract 113 (Asheboro Park and Arlington Park)
has 31.7% of residents living without health insurance (US Census Bureau, 2012). The number of
primary care doctors has a positive impact on the overall mortality rate in an area, but without health
insurance residents are less likely to receive the medical care they need for that to have an effect.
TOBACCO USE
According to NC State Center for Health Statistics in 2012, there were 263 deaths in Guilford
County due to cancer of the trachea, bronchus, and lungs. A contributing factor to those deaths is the
proportion of adults who smoke. County Health Rankings and Roadmaps organization estimates that
17% of adults in Guilford County smoke. This is lower than the 20% average for Forsyth County and
the state of North Carolina (County Health Rankings, 2014). Cigarette smoking increases the risk of
incurring cancer, especially cancer of the lungs and respiratory tract. It also increases the risk of
cardiovascular disease and respiratory disease. In pregnant mothers, cigarette smoking has been linked
to low birth weight. With the exception of a slight increase in 2012 to 21.8%, North Carolina has fairly
low smoking percentages over the years (County Health Rankings). The percentage of adults who smoke
affects a county health ranking, so a higher percentage of smokers lowers a countys health rank.
Guilford county ranks number 17 for overall health behaviors compared to Forsyth County at number 26
(County Health Rankings, 2014).
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ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
Chart 2. Average Air Quality Index by Years
Source: Environmental Protection Agency, 2009
Chart 3. Hospital Discharges via Asthma
Source: Guilford County DPH, 2012
Environmental quality directly affects ones health status and quality of life (U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services [USDHHS], 2014). The three leading causes of death in Guilford County,
cancer, heart disease, and chronic lower respiratory disease, can be linked to poor air quality. According
to Chart 2 (reference in Appendix A), the air quality of Guilford County was consistently poorer than
both North Carolina and the United States from 1999 to 2009. Environmental factors affect those
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already at risk the most, such as asthma, which is triggered and exacerbated by environmental factors
(USDHHS, 2014). In 2010, Guilford County had a rate of 128.6 per 100,000 hospital discharges for
children aged 0-14 according to Chart 3 (reference in Appendix A), which is higher than Forsyth County
(81.5 per 100,000), but lower than Wake County (199.8 per 100,000) and North Carolina as a whole
(166 per 100,000).
SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH

Chart 4. Health Insurance Coverage by Age and Education
Source: Factfinder; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2008-2012
With 28.1% of households in census tract 113 below the poverty line, this indicates Arlington
Park is statistically more likely to have a poor health outcome according to the data in Table 2 of
Appendix C. In addition, 31.2% of households in the Arlington Park neighborhood receive food stamps.
These percentages are over twice as high as Guilford County and Forsyth County and North Carolina.
According to the World Health Organization, lower socioeconomic status, such as lower income, is
associated with poor health outcomes (2014). Poor health outcomes can mean more days sick, younger
onset of chronic illness, or a higher rate of chronic illness in a population. Having sufficient income is
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just one leading indicator if a household is able to afford health care. Access to health care is a second
leading indicator of health outcomes especially as it relates closely to education levels. Lack of
insurance often results in lack of access, as most doctors cannot afford to see patients who do not have
insurance in the United States. This becomes an issue within Arlington Park, when a majority of
residents with a high school education or less have no health insurance according to data from the ACS
2008-2012 survey. Even if a college education was made affordable and readily available to residents of
Arlington Park, this would decrease the percent of residents with no health insurance by almost 20%.
However, of the adults between 25 and 65 years old with some college education, 35.43% of Arlington
Park residents still have no health insurance. This is more than double the percentage for Guilford
County and North Carolina. A lack of health insurance coverage, education, and income levels indicate
that Arlington Park is an area at risk for poorer health outcomes in Guilford County. Having health
insurance coverage is the critical first step to increasing the number of primary care physicians for
residents in Arlington Park as was discussed in access to health care.
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OBESITY AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Chart 5. Adult Obesity
Chart 6. Physical Inactivity
Chart 7. Food Environment Index
Source: County Health Rankings, 2014
Statewide, close to 30% of adults have a body mass index score greater than 30, categorizing
them as obese (Guilford County Department of Public Health, 2013). Table 9 (reference in Appendix C)
shows from 2010-2014 a minute decrease in adult obesity in Guilford County at 27%, down one
percentage from 28%. In Forsyth County adult obesity slightly increased from 25% in 2010 to 26% in
2014. While these percentages are holding close to the state average factors such as physical inactivity,
limited access to healthy foods and food insecurity can play a role in the health indicators of a
geographical area. Table 10 (reference in Appendix C) provides data for physical inactivity from 20122014. During this time the state of North Carolina has been consistent with an overall average at 25% of
residents not engaging in physical activity. Currently, Guilford County is inching behind the statewide
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average with 24% of the residents being physically inactive, while Forsyth County is only at 22%.
Although an increase from previous years, Forsyth County is the lowest in comparison to Guilford
County and the state of North Carolina. Data from 2014 found in Table 11 (reference in Appendix C)
shows that when it comes to limited access to healthy foods and food insecurity Forsyth County is the
worst at 6.3 compared to Guilford County at 6.5 and North Carolina at 6.9. According to County Health
Rankings (2014), there is strong evidence that residing in a food desert and the lack of constant access to
food is correlated to negative health outcomes such as poor nutrition, poor cardiovascular health, weight
gain, obesity, and premature death.
REFERENCES
City of Greensboro. (2014). Arlington Park. Retrieved from: http://www.greensboro-nc.gov/index.aspx?
page=1747
Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion. (2014) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/
County Health Rankings. (2014). Compare Counties in North Carolina. Retrieved from:
http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/app/north-carolina/2010/compare?counties=081%2B067
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http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/app/northcarolina/2014/rankings/guilford/county/outcomes/overall/snapshot
County Health Rankings. (2014). Food Environment Index. Retrieved from:
http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/app/north-carolina/2014/measure/factors/133/description?
sort=desc-3
Doyle, C., Kavanagh, P., Metcalfe, O., & Lavin, T. (2005). Health impacts of employment a review.
Retrieved from: http://www.publichealth.ie/files/file/IPH_Employment_Health_24pp.pdf
Environmental Protection Agency. (2009). Air Quality Database. Washington, D.C. Retrieved from:
http://www.usa.com/guilford-county-nc-air-quality.htm
Guilford County Department of Public Health. (2012). The State of Guilford Countys Health Report.
Retrieved from: http://www.co.guilford.nc.us/publichealth/divisions/wpcontent/uploads/2013/01/2012sotchfinal.pdf
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ARLINGTON PARK

Community Health Assessment

MAP & GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES

MAP & GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES MAP LEGEND

Wheelchair Accessible Homes

Violation of City Ordinances

Public School/County Service

Public Safety Concern

Windshield and Walking Tour

Wednesday September 10, 2014 at 6:30-8:30 pm

Sunday September 14, 2014 at 1:30-3:30 pm

General Neighborhood Information

Name of Neighborhood: Arlington Park, Greensboro NC

Congressional District: NC-12

Location (zip code): 27406

Census Tract: 113

North: Andrew Street

South: Florida Street

East: Martin Luther King Jr. Drive

West: Vance Street and North West Arlington Street

Neighborhood design for physical activity

7. Bike trails or routes:

Basketball Court & Open Area

Gillespie Golf Course

Other Neighborhood Assets

Guilford Child Development

Gillespie Park Elementary

Guilford Technical Community

(approx .7 miles away)

Kiser Middle School 716

Grimsley High School 801

(approx 4.5 miles away)

Churches, clubs, and membership organizations:

Freewill Pentecostal Church

Gods House of Deliverance

1606 Martin Luther King Jr Dr

1212 Randolph Ave

Grace & Truth Christian

New Missionary Zion Baptist Church Rock Hill Sovereign Grace

1310 Martin Luther King Jr Dr

1216 Bellevue Street

Places where people like to linger or hang out:

Community organizations, associations, and health and social service agencies:

Health care providers:

Triad Adult & Pediatric

Kindred Hospital Greensboro

Sharen Long-Strokes DDS

106 Murrow Boulevard, #100

1002 S Eugene Street

(approx 1 mile away)

(approx 1.4 miles away)

(approx 1.7 miles away)

Block by block description of types of housing:

East Lucerne Street has single family, one story homes.

Mary E Black Street

Martin Luther King Jr Drive

Quik Save Convenience store

Fairway One Stop

1205 Martin Luther King Jr Dr

(approx 1.6 miles away)

Nussbaum Center for Entrepreneurship

105 W Florida Street

Law enforcement officers at local parks.