Informal settlements and the geography of vulnerability - a spatial case study of Hidalgo County, Texas

"More than 2,000 colonias and more than 800 model subdivisions have been developed in unincorporated areas across the state of Texas. Since the 1980s, a substantial body of research has documented the poor housing conditions and inadequate infrastructure in these informal settlements in the United States. However, very little research has focused on the geographic vulnerability, such as exposure to environmental risks and the lack of access to amenities. This study adopts two Geographic Information System (GIS) methods (overlay analysis and proximity analysis) to investigate the vulnerability of informal settlements in Hidalgo County, Texas. This research finds that informal settlements experience more spatial vulnerability than formal neighborhoods as they are further away from the urban center, the job center, and other critical amenities. However, the prevalence of property crime in informal settlements is significantly lower. Within the informal settlements, colonias are still in need of basic infrastructures. Besides, this study finds that state-designated colonias are less vulnerable than newer model subdivisions that have developed largely without acknowledgment by the state.These findings suggest the need for state and local governments 1) to make more targeted investments to provide water and wastewater service; 2) to develop public transportation system; 3) to reduce vulnerability by expanding access to amenities or services and 4) to partner with private entities and communities themselves to address the needs in informal settlements."--Page ii.