Picard ( 1939) and Darling ( 1943) were pioneers in addressing urban blight, yet it is thought of as a relatively recent issue affecting contemporary societies (Barão et al., 2021 Ferreira et al., 2018 Valasik et al., 2019). Therefore, blight prevention and mitigation are crucial to reducing blight occurrences when it first appears (Ernst, 2008 Ferreira et al., 2018 Hu et al., 2021 Marques et al., 2018 Pires et al., 2018).īlight and its causes is a complex topic, inherently subjective and lacks a universally accepted definition (Jones-Farmer & Hoerl, 2019 Shlay & Whitman, 2006 Wagner, 2018 Weaver, 2013), making blight research and its mitigation extremely difficult to conduct. Blight not only potentially triggers other issues, such as drug trafficking and prostitution, but also, unchecked, spreads quickly. Blight is a widespread and increasing problem in many large metropolises. Housing conditions in blighted areas thus fall far below each city’s property standards (Darling, 1943 South et al., 2015). These continued trends contributed to other problems, including urban or neighborhood blight, where neglected properties deteriorate, causing depreciated valuations. This resulted in serious unemployment and household structural problems drastically affecting residents’ quality of life (Correia et al., 2020 Costa et al., 2021 Darling, 1943 Ernst, 2008). Over time, poor-or the absence of-strategic urban planning caused cities to become overpopulated with declining residential infrastructure. Urbanization was primarily motivated by individuals’ search for a higher quality of life manifested by better jobs, general infrastructure improvements, and housing (Dye, 2008 Ochoa et al., 2018 Shen et al., 2018 Zhang & Song, 2003). One of the most eventful societal transformations was the intensity of urbanization, resulting in migration to cities. With the industrial revolution, humanity’s habits started to change radically, leading to profound changes in people’s lives. The resulting framework and its application were validated both by these specialists and the head of the Territorial and Environmental Assessment and Monitoring Division of Cascais City Council Strategic Planning Department, Portugal. Group debate involving a panel of specialists in this field identified six causation clusters based on the experts’ experience and knowledge. This dual methodology provides a more transparent and less restrictive approach for analyzing and complying with the dynamics of cause-and-effect relationships among variables. The generic methods commonly applied in previous blight research present limitations that this study aims to overcome by using cognitive mapping and the decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) technique. The purpose of this study is to seek an understanding of blight and identify its causal factors. Blight may spread rapidly, thus, experts must, in a timely manner, analyze its causes, which are essential to preventing and mitigating blight problems.
Despite being blighted, these properties and surrounding neighborhoods often are occupied by families who fail to have sufficient income to afford residences that meet minimum standards or to live in neighborhoods free from drug trafficking and prostitution or other forms of crime. Blight originates whenever properties are neglected, contributing to both a functional and social depreciation process and ultimately leading to uninhabitable dwellings. However, blight is a problem that exists in the lives of many people, especially if they reside in urban areas. Blight is a concept not commonly discussed.