Urban 'blight' is a figurative term which can be traced back to the 16th century to describe a fatal condition affecting plants the causes of which were unknown at the time.

However, 'blight' was later discovered to be a specific plant disease caused by certain pathogens.

Yet the outdated figurative term is still used by urban planners as an umbrella label for a wide range of undesirable urban conditions such as 'decay,' 'malaise,''decline,' dereliction' etc.

If urban 'blight' and decay are are the same how is it that solutions for urban decay can not be applied to other 'blight' conditions?

Mel Marcus PhD