Research has shown that the environment is important for maintaining positive mental and physical health. However, most research has focused on negative features (e.g. violence, disorder), while ignoring the potential influence of positive features of the environment. School neighborhood characteristics influence adolescent well-being. This study examines how positive community characteristics located in school neighborhoods, specifically those that feature positive messaging, opportunities, community health, and identity, are related to adolescents’ stress and anxiety. Data for this study include objective characteristics of Chicago high school neighborhoods attended by a sample of primarily Black and Latinx adolescents. Google Street View (GSV) and a coding protocol were used to identify school neighborhood characteristics. Participants completed a survey and reported on their stress and anxiety. Ordinary least squares regression was used to examine relationships between positive school neighborhood characteristics and adolescents’ stress and anxiety. There were no significant relationships between positive community design and outcomes. However, there were relationships between specific positive community features and differences in outcomes across participant demographic characteristics. These findings expand knowledge on positive community features in the environments that Black and Latinx adolescents frequent and offer insight into ways that these features might be used to support adolescent well-being.
