The database is made up of two applications; 1) Microsoft Access for Windows 95 version 7.0 and 2) ESRI ArcView 3.0, for smooth data management using visual elements.

In the Access database, two related tables, on lot and owner, are the basic components. Based on information from these tables, needed data can be extracted using queries. We entered whole data into the tables from this year which can easily be updated.

In the ArcView file, every lot in the study area is digitized from the tax map as a polygon and joined with the lot data from the Access file. This method allows for the geographic identification of lots as well as the extraction of information by clicking on the map. Using "query", thematic maps can be made based on this information. Some examples are appended at the end of this report.

The study area consists of 37 blocks around West Side Park, between 15^th Avenue and Springfield Avenue, and between South 10^th Street and South 20^th Street. The study area is shown in Figure 1, the inset shows the study area in relation with Corinthian. The blocks contain a total of 1052 lots, one-third (408 lots) of which are vacant. (see Figure 2) Figure 4 in appendix shows the vacant lots. The average lot size ranges from 0.06 to 0.07 acre (2,600-3,000 square feet), and the average assessed land value for each lot ranges from $1,500 to 2,500.

Figure 1. Study area (A 37 block area within Corinthian’s 96 blocks neighborhood)

Figure 2. Vacancy rate for whole study area

Among these vacant lots, 56% are owned by the City of Newark and 17% by the Newark Housing Authority. (see Figure 3) As Table 1 and 2 show, the owners are mostly from Newark. Although there are a small number of owners living in New York, Chicago, and Washington, DC, other owners are mostly from Northern New Jersey.

Figure 3. Vacant lots by owner

Table 1. The ten largest vacant lot owners in the study area and total acreage of ownership

Table 2: Distribution of vacant lot owners in NJ

Based on the study of each block, particular blocks are recommended for future acquisition. Based on an assumption that vacant lots owned by the city are relatively easy to acquire, the spatial distribution of city ownership is focused. The analysis broke the study area into block numbers, which are the City of Newark’s designation. Table 3 shows the top 15 blocks with total acreage of city-owned vacant lots.

Table 3. The top 15 blocks in terms of total acreage of city-owned vacant lots

One focused group of blocks is located around Corinthian’s existing housings and also close to Springfield Avenue. They are Blocks 311, 316, 359, 360, 361, and 364. All of them except Block 359 have more than a 30% vacancy rate and most are owned by the city. They are also close to economic activity on Springfield Avenue and West Side Park. Block 359 is also suitable for development since the adjacent Block 360 would be the priority of development. Figure 7 in the appendix shows the location of the blocks.

Another group of blocks which might be focused in terms of vacancy and ownership is on the north-eastern side of the Park, Blocks 286, 308, 310.01, and 331. Blocks 286, 310.01 and 331 are located across the street from the park and are thus strategic sites in terms of safety issue. The Block 286 is especially desirable because it has the highest vacancy rate of all the blocks in the study area (81.5%). In addition, it is near Housing Authority developments on blocks 309 and 310. Figure 8 shows in the appendix shows location of the blocks.