New York City's Redlining History Today

A series of redlining determined by race deemed areas of our cities to be "dangerous" causing environmental effects that we see today

Jamil Gaffud

March 7, 2021

INTRODUCTION

These series of maps show the Redlined Neighborhoods, and its continual effects today. Showing the correlation between Tree cover and paved surfaces to higher surface temperatures.

HOW DOES THIS COMPARE TO NEW YORK CITY?

Nelson, Winling, Marciano, Connolly, et al., Mapping Inequality

According to NYC's Open Data of 2015 Street Trees Census the coverage trees seem ubiquitous in NYC, however looking closer we can still see a disparity of Open Spaces (Parks) in some of these areas.

General NYC Income Map

According to the American Census Survey in 2019, some of these redlined areas are much higher in their median Income.

When we look into it closer, we see a direct correlation between Poverty and Invulnerability within these areas.

A close up of Manhattan's again shows the direct correlation between Income and Invulnerability.

What should also be pointed out is who is being more vulnerable aside from their Economic Status.

Black Communities in more vulnerable State

In general, the areas where black communities are at its densest, the vulnerability is much higher. We also see the same trend where in areas of exception the redlining are also the areas where black communities are much less dense.

Black Communities in more vulnerable State, Brooklyn

Black Communities in more vulnerable State, Queens Area

Black Communities in more vulnerable State, Bronx Area

Again, in areas most vulnerable are also areas of higher densities of Black Population

Graphs Developed by the NYC Department of Health

Of course the Inverse can be said to areas where the white population is at its most dense.

White Communities in Relation to Vulnerabilities

SO WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY

There's Currently A program that has been helping in making changes to NYC overall.

Cool Neighborhoods NYC

The Cool Neighborhoods NYC program has made significant changes in creating more comfortable neighborhoods through the distribution of greenery in NYC as well as further infrastructure improvements such as cool roofs and better paving systems.

New York City Displacement Map within 1930s Mapping Inequality

Although these areas are being improved, there is still an underlying problems with the City particularly in terms of Displacement and Exclusion.

Within areas that are improved today are becoming more exclusive. Within many areas that are also changing, we see more people being at risk of being pushed away.

And so although NYC has taken the challenge of diverting away from the 1930s Mapping Inequality through trees, we see another undermining system that's pushing the residents within these areas.

The Neighborhood Is Mostly Black. The Home Buyers Are Mostly White.

RALEIGH, N.C. - In the African-American neighborhoods near downtown Raleigh, the playfully painted doors signal what's coming. Colored in crimson, in coral, in seafoam, the doors accent newly renovated craftsman cottages and boxy modern homes that have replaced vacant lots. To longtime residents, the doors mean higher home prices ahead, more investors knocking, more white neighbors.

https://www.nytimes.com

From this map made by Emily Badger, Quoctrung Bui and Robert Gebeloff, we can see a trend of the growing population out side of New York City, where in Brooklyn and Harlem are ever growing in White Population.

TAKEAWAYS

First and foremost, the 1930s Mapping Inequality has left environmental implications to New York City even to this day causing environmental injustice throughout and particularly to the Black population that reside within those redlines.
In order to improve these areas, vegetation and green spaces should be built up to help reduce their environmental invulnerability
Whilst there are improvements, within these Redlines, Median Income range should not be a direct correlation to the well-being of these areas. Although Poverty is a criteria for these vulnerability, the lack of government support or lack of resource and environmental accommodations leads more vulnerable people into a financial discrepancy which feeds into a cycle of injustice and disadvantages. Poverty should not lead to further vulnerability.
Lastly, there should be protections upon these areas in preventing the increasing prices of these housings as it could potentially push the current residents away from these areas. Although improvements are being made, for whom it is being made for seems unlikely towards the current residents, but rather towards future residents of whom can pay for more.