IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/agrhuv/v40y2023i1d10.1007_s10460-022-10340-3.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Redlining, racism and food access in US urban cores

Author

Listed:
  • Yasamin Shaker

    (University of Utah
    University of Utah)

  • Sara E. Grineski

    (University of Utah
    University of Utah)

  • Timothy W. Collins

    (University of Utah
    University of Utah)

  • Aaron B. Flores

    (University of Utah
    Arizona State University)

Abstract

In the 1930s, the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) graded the mortgage security of urban US neighborhoods. In doing so, the HOLC engaged in the practice, imbued with racism and xenophobia, of “redlining” neighborhoods deemed “hazardous” for lenders. Redlining has caused persistent social, political and economic problems for communities of color. Linkages between redlining and contemporary food access remain unexamined, even though food access is essential to well-being. To investigate this, we used a census tract-level measure of low-income and low grocery store food access from the US Department of Agriculture Food Access Research Atlas, redlining data from Mapping Inequality Project, and demographic data from the American Community Survey. We employed generalized estimating equations with robust covariance estimates to analyze data pertaining to 10,459 census tracts in 202 US cities. Tracts that the HOLC graded as “C” (“decline in desirability”) and “D” (“hazardous”) had reduced contemporary food access compared to those graded “A” (“best”). Increases in contemporary census tract proportions of Black, Hispanic, or other racial/ethnic minority residents, as well as disabled residents, were associated with reduced food access. Increases in contemporary proportions of residents age 75 years and older or those without a car were associated with better food access. Tracts that underwent housing redevelopment since being graded had better food access, while those undergoing gentrification had reduced food access. Results suggest that issues of redlining, housing discrimination, racism, ableism, displacement, and food inaccessibility are deeply intertwined.

Suggested Citation

  • Yasamin Shaker & Sara E. Grineski & Timothy W. Collins & Aaron B. Flores, 2023. "Redlining, racism and food access in US urban cores," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 40(1), pages 101-112, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:agrhuv:v:40:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1007_s10460-022-10340-3
    DOI: 10.1007/s10460-022-10340-3
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10460-022-10340-3
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10460-022-10340-3?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. O'Hara, Sabine & Toussaint, Etienne C., 2021. "Food access in crisis: Food security and COVID-19," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    2. Collins, Timothy W. & Grineski, Sara E. & Morales, Danielle X., 2017. "Environmental injustice and sexual minority health disparities: A national study of inequitable health risks from air pollution among same-sex partners," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 191(C), pages 38-47.
    3. Aggarwal, A. & Cook, A.J. & Jiao, J. & Seguin, R.A. & Moudon, A.V. & Hurvitz, P.M. & Drewnowski, A., 2014. "Access to supermarkets and fruit and vegetable consumption," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 104(5), pages 917-923.
    4. Samina Raja, 2020. "Planning and pandemics COVID 19 illuminates why urban planners should have listened to food advocates all along," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 37(3), pages 553-554, September.
    5. Isabelle Anguelovski & James Connolly & Anna Livia Brand, 2018. "From landscapes of utopia to the margins of the green urban life," City, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(3), pages 417-436, May.
    6. Alison Hope Alkon & Sarah Bowen & Yuki Kato & Kara Alexis Young, 2020. "Unequally vulnerable: a food justice approach to racial disparities in COVID-19 cases," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 37(3), pages 535-536, September.
    7. Bev Wilson, 2020. "Urban Heat Management and the Legacy of Redlining," Journal of the American Planning Association, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 86(4), pages 443-457, October.
    8. Timothy W. Collins & Sara E. Grineski & Jayajit Chakraborty & Marilyn C. Montgomery & Maricarmen Hernandez, 2015. "Downscaling Environmental Justice Analysis: Determinants of Household-Level Hazardous Air Pollutant Exposure in Greater Houston," Annals of the American Association of Geographers, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 105(4), pages 684-703, July.
    9. Kathryn Teigen De Master & Jess Daniels, 2019. "Desert wonderings: reimagining food access mapping," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 36(2), pages 241-256, June.
    10. Jerry Shannon, 2021. "Dollar Stores, Retailer Redlining, and the Metropolitan Geographies of Precarious Consumption," Annals of the American Association of Geographers, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 111(4), pages 1200-1218, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Collins, Timothy W. & Nadybal, Shawna & Grineski, Sara E., 2020. "Sonic injustice: Disparate residential exposures to transport noise from road and aviation sources in the continental United States," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    2. Grineski, Sara & Collins, Tim & Renteria, Roger & Rubio, Ricardo, 2021. "Multigenerational immigrant trajectories and children's unequal exposure to fine particulate matter in the US," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 282(C).
    3. Jayajit Chakraborty & Ashley A. McAfee & Timothy W. Collins & Sara E. Grineski, 2021. "Exposure to Hurricane Harvey flooding for subsidized housing residents of Harris County, Texas," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 106(3), pages 2185-2205, April.
    4. Chakraborty, Jayajit & Grineski, Sara E. & Collins, Timothy W., 2019. "Hurricane Harvey and people with disabilities: Disproportionate exposure to flooding in Houston, Texas," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 226(C), pages 176-181.
    5. Christopher Hassall & Michael Nisbet & Evan Norcliffe & He Wang, 2024. "The Potential Health Benefits of Urban Tree Planting Suggested through Immersive Environments," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-12, February.
    6. Marian Stuiver & Sabine O’Hara, 2021. "Food Connects Washington DC in 2050—A Vision for Urban Food Systems as the Centerpieces of a Circular Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-18, July.
    7. Aryana Soliz, 2021. "Creating Sustainable Cities through Cycling Infrastructure? Learning from Insurgent Mobilities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-21, August.
    8. A. Haven Kiers & Billy Krimmel & Caroline Larsen-Bircher & Kate Hayes & Ash Zemenick & Julia Michaels, 2022. "Different Jargon, Same Goals: Collaborations between Landscape Architects and Ecologists to Maximize Biodiversity in Urban Lawn Conversions," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-18, September.
    9. Zoé A Hamstead, 2024. "Thermal insecurity: Violence of heat and cold in the urban climate refuge," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 61(3), pages 531-548, February.
    10. Sisa Shiba & Goodness C. Aye & Rangan Gupta & Samrat Goswami, 2022. "Forecastability of Agricultural Commodity Futures Realised Volatility with Daily Infectious Disease-Related Uncertainty," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-15, November.
    11. Michael Carolan, 2021. "Putting food access in its topological place: thinking in terms of relational becomings when mapping space," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 38(1), pages 243-256, February.
    12. Huidan Xue & Yujia Zhai & Wen-Hao Su & Ziling He, 2023. "Governance and Actions for Resilient Urban Food Systems in the Era of COVID-19: Lessons and Challenges in China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-25, August.
    13. Ana M. Bartolome & Deiyalí A. Carpio & Beatriz Urbano, 2022. "Urban Agriculture Digital Planning for the European Union’s Green Deal," The AMFITEATRU ECONOMIC journal, Academy of Economic Studies - Bucharest, Romania, vol. 24(59), pages 159-159.
    14. Chen Zhu & Rigoberto A. Lopez & Yuan Gao & Xiaoou Liu, 2021. "The COVID‐19 Pandemic and Consumption of Food away from Home: Evidence from High‐frequency Restaurant Transaction Data," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 29(6), pages 73-94, November.
    15. Abdulrasheed Zakari & Jurij Toplak & Luka Martin Tomažič, 2022. "Exploring the Relationship between Energy and Food Security in Africa with Instrumental Variables Analysis," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-14, July.
    16. Na’Taki Osborne Jelks & Viniece Jennings & Alessandro Rigolon, 2021. "Green Gentrification and Health: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-23, January.
    17. Catalina Cruz-Piedrahita & Francisco-Javier Martinez-Carranza & Maria Mar Delgado-Serrano, 2024. "A Multidimensional Approach to Understanding Food Deserts in Vulnerable Contexts," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-19, January.
    18. Fallon S. Aidoo, 2021. "Architectures of mis/managed retreat: Black land loss to green housing gains," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 11(3), pages 451-464, September.
    19. Bohuslava Mihalčová & Antonín Korauš & Olha Prokopenko & Jozefína Hvastová & Magdaléna Freňáková & Peter Gallo & Beáta Balogová, 2021. "Effective Management Tools for Solving the Problem of Poverty in Relation to Food Waste in Context of Integrated Management of Energy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-18, July.
    20. Chihsin Chiu, 2020. "Theorizing Public Participation and Local Governance in Urban Resilience: Reflections on the “Provincializing Urban Political Ecology” Thesis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-12, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:agrhuv:v:40:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1007_s10460-022-10340-3. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.