Word of the Week

Blight

A noun that refers to dilapidated (usually urban) districts. Although the term has been around for years, its importance increased after the Supreme Court's 2005 decision in Kelo v. City of New London, which made clear that the federal courts would not stop local governments across the country from condemning private property for economic development. One of the most common reasons for condemnation is a finding of "blight" under state law. Different states define "blight" differently, but typically the word applies to an area in which the structures are unfit or unsafe to occupy because of defective design or construction; faulty layout or overcrowding; insufficient light, sanitation, and open space; and even economic dislocation “resulting from faulty planning” -- but then, why let the same planners have another go at the neighborhood?