Another Look at Residential Turnover in Urban Neighborhoods: A Note on "Racial Change in a Stable Community" by Harvey Molotch

Evidence has indicated that property turnovers in a racially changing area are a function of the structural conditions of the housing and demographic characteristics fo the white residents in a Chicago community. Analysis of the Chicago case study raises questions about the validity of the evidence. A test of the hypothesis in Cleveland subareas revealed that, in some racially changing areas, the high turnover can be explained by the housing and nonracial demographic characteristics of the area, but a few neighborhoods experienced a household turnover indicative of "white flight." Further factors are suggested for a comparative, multicity study of neighborhood transition processes.