Visual Blight in America, Resource Paper No. 23.

Five articles comprise this resource paper that considers "visual blight" in the United States and the role that geographers can play in preserving the physical environment. The first article contends that visual blight is a proper subject for debate for geographers. The second article interprets causes and effects of visual blight and suggests that blight is a disease or symptom of organic malfunctioning. By studying visual blight, health of society can be judged on the ground of visual evidence in the landscape. In addition, the importance of artistic integrity in environment needs to be considered. The third article describes the problem that not everything is offensive and that blight may be in the eye of the beholder. Five specifications of blight are listed. The fourth article suggests that visual blight must be attacked, but people must also become aware and open their eyes to appreciate their surroundings with greater sensitivity, thereby raising the level of concern and generating greater possibilities of change. A social and moral factor is introduced into the definition of landscape in the last article, which allows the geographer to make a significant contribution to the reordering of the environment with his knowledge and feeling of place. (Author/JR)