Food Access and Redlining in Boston

An evaluation of neighborhood redlining in Boston and its continued impact on food access today.


Methods

To clearly show my selected study area, I first used the City of Boston Boundary layer. I also knew that I wanted to use census block groups as my unit of analysis, so I added a layer of U.S. Block Groups, and used the clipping tool to identify block groups within the same census tract in the City of Boston only.

Cartographic Flowchart of Boston Block Groups

To create the Boston Redlining map, I used the Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC) Redlining Layer from Esri. This layer included redlining grades for over 140 cities in the U.S., but I clipped it to my already existing my City of Boston layer. Additionally, I changed the basemap to 'Light Gray Canvas' so that the colors of the HOLC grades would really pop.

Cartographic Flowchart of Boston Redlining

Using this same methodology, I mapped current food insecurity rates within the City of Boston so I could see how current rates overlap with redlining grades. I found data from the Greater Boston Food Bank that showed food insecurity rates in the Greater Boston Area, and then I clipped this layer to my City of Boston Layer.

After I created this map, I set out to create maps for each of the demographic variables I wanted to look at which included: race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, poverty, and food assistance (SNAP). In order to complete this process, I used geo-enrichment via ArcGIS Pro to add these variables within my City of Boston Boundary. Then, I mapped food access by doing a service area of Boston grocery stores that were within 0.5 miles walking distance in each block group

Cartographic Flowchart of Enriched Boston Block Groups

Lastly, I wanted to see how redlined areas experience food access today. In order to map food access, I created a service area analysis of grocery stores in Boston. I used a 0.5 mi walking distance to see which areas in the city had the most food accessibility.

Cartographic Flowchart of Food Access Service Area


Results

The racist and discriminatory process of redlining in the 1930s has contributed to inequity and gaps among Boston neighborhoods today. Historically, areas that were redlined due to their diverse make-up and lower income, now see the highest prevalence of food insecurity, poverty, food assistance, and and more diversity. These areas also lower SES than areas that were not redlined and are predominantly white.

Food Insecurity

Relationship of Redlining and Food Insecurity Rate

Maps of Boston HOLC Grades (Left) and Food Insecurity Rates (Right)

In the map above, the overlap of redlined neighborhoods and food insecurity rates is clearly shown. This coincides with research that identifies redlining is associated with higher prevalence of food insecurity in low-income, racially and ethnically diverse communities 3 .

By mapping food insecurity in Boston and understanding where it is most prevalent, we can then look at the demographic variables of that area and how outcomes change based on geographic location.

Demographic Variables

Race and Ethnicity

Map of Boston Race and Ethnicity (Diversity Index)

Poverty

Map of Boston Poverty

Socioeconomic Status (SES)

Map of Boston Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status (NSES)

Food Assistance (SNAP)

Map of Boston Food Assistance Use

Food Access

Boston Grocery Stores

Boston Food Access Service Area


Conclusion

Each map portrays that the neighborhoods of Boston which were historically redlined, are some of the same areas that have now have higher rates of food insecurity, higher prevalence of poverty/low-income, more food assistance (SNAP) use, and are more racially/ethnically diverse.

They are also the same areas where there is lower SES, which in this case takes into account measures of median household income, percent of individuals with income below the federal poverty line, educational attainment of adults, unemployment rate, and percent of households with children under the age of 18 that are "female-headed" (no male present).

Although the service area does specifically associate redlining with reduced or lower food access, it is still crucial to point out that these racially and ethnically diverse neighborhoods still experience the highest rates of food assistance, poverty, low-income, and unemployment. With this being said, although there may be adequate food access, redlining and other discriminatory practices which have led to economic instability and inequity among communities of color may impact their ability to afford fresh, healthy foods. However, Based on these maps and the data presented, it is concluded that redlining still impacts Boston residents today and there must be justice for this legacy of racism evident today.

Next Steps

As we know, this was an 11-week course which is not nearly enough time to complete everything I would have liked to! Next steps I would take include geo-enriching my mom socioeconomic status (SES) rather than using the ACS 2014 data. I would also like to create a service area of perhaps 1 to 2 miles walking distance to grocery stores.

In addition to, I would map food pantries, community gardens, and farmers markets. Urban farming has also increasingly been on food access policy agendas of Boston activists, health collaboratives, and policymakers. I would see if I could find data on where (if any) are there plots of land for urban farming in Boston to examine which populations would have most access to them.

Lastly, I did not have a chance to map transportation routes in relation to grocery stores. I'd be interested to see on a map where the stores are in relation to public transportation routes, as many Boston residents do not own cars, especially those living in historically redlined areas.


References

  1. Mayor's Office of Food Access. 2021. "Mayor's Food Access Agenda 2021-2023."  https://www.boston.gov/sites/default/files/file/2021/04/Mayor%27s%20Food%20Access%20Agenda%202021-2023.pdf 
  2. Shaker, Yasamin, Sara E. Grineski, Timothy W. Collins, and Aaron B. Flores. 2022. “Redlining, Racism and Food Access in US Urban Cores.” Agriculture and Human Values, July.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-022-10340-3 .
  3. Rothstein, Richard. 2018. "The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America." New York: Liveright Publishing.
  4. Stermon, Mallory, and Chris Lukinbeal. 2021. “Institutionalized Racism: Redlined Districts Then and Now in Boston, Detroit, and Los Angeles.” Yearbook of the Association of Pacific Coast Geographers 83 (1): 81–97.  https://doi.org/10.1353/pcg.2021.0007 .
  5. Ofulue, Camille. 2021. "Redlining in Boston: How the Architects of the Past Have Shaped Boston’s Future."  https://www.bostonpoliticalreview.org/post/redlining-in-boston-how-the-architects-of-the-past-have-shaped-boston-s-future 

About This Story

This story was created as a final project for the Simmons University MPH course 'GIS I: Health Equity Mapping and Analysis.' The goal of this course is to introduce students to ESRI ArcGIS software and fundamentals of cartography using public health data to explore health equity indicators.

Story

Julia Wood, Simmons University MPH Candidate

Cartographic Flowchart of Boston Block Groups

Cartographic Flowchart of Boston Redlining

Cartographic Flowchart of Enriched Boston Block Groups

Cartographic Flowchart of Food Access Service Area