Sam Ziemba: Outside Reading 2 (3/7/23)

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This article discusses the issue of redlining in urban areas. Redlining is both an environmental and sociological issue. In the 1930s, predominantly black or Hispanic neighborhoods were labeled as “hazardous”. This led to less investment in the areas and the effects of this racism are still visible today. These neighborhoods were often overlooked, so creating green spaces or anything related to the quality of living was not implemented. Trees provide many benefits including air quality, flood reduction, shade, and a cooling effect in the heat. The lack of green spaces and high amounts of asphalt cause the “urban heat island effect”. On average, these marginalized communities face an average temperature 5 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than white neighborhoods. This causes many heat-related deaths and health problems, all because of the neighborhood somebody lives in. These neighborhoods also are more likely to be located next to polluting industries and highways. It is no coincidence that the people living in these areas struggle with many health conditions like asthma, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Although segregation was banned, the racism of the past is not truly in the past, and it is affecting many people’s day-to-day lives through the environment they live in. All of this information is alarming in itself, but it is made worse seeing that this is happening so close by. In our own city, people are experiencing these injustices.