Main................ Method One...........Method Two ...................Method Three ...........Conclusion

 


Methods of Determining Disproportionate Impact Using Geographic Information Systems

 

Project Description:

This project was created as assignment for Urban Planning 507 at the University of Michigan, during the Spring 2002 semester. It is an investigation of various ways in which researchers have used to examine claims of environmental racism. Environmental racism refers to the pattern of siting, lax enforcement of environmental hazards within communities of color and among the poor in the United States and abroad. This pattern results in disproportionate impacts of environmental hazards among marginalized communities. This project looks at the prevalence of CERCLIS, or more commonly referred to as Superfund sites, within the contigous United States. The three methods under consideration are as follows:

1. Census Tracts as Units of Analysis

2. Impacted Area (combination of Zip Codes and Tracts) as Units of Analysis

3) Point Source and Buffering Analysis

 

Each method is presented along with its corresponding maps. In addition, there is a brief discussion of the overall strengths and weaknesses of the method. Click on the methods above to begin or, go directly to my research conclusion.