Health Disparities
Breathing Unequal Air: The Hidden Cost of Redlining in Atlanta
​​
In Atlanta, the legacy of redlining is not just a historical injustice-it is a living, breathing public health crisis. Black communities, historically marked as “hazardous” and denied investment through 1930s redlining policies, today face disproportionately high rates of asthma and respiratory illnesses. This disparity is rooted in decades of systemic disinvestment, environmental injustice, and urban planning decisions that continue to expose these neighborhoods to harmful pollution and inadequate resources.
​​
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Black Atlantans are 50–100% more likely to suffer from asthma than their white counterparts. This alarming disparity is not explained by genetics or lifestyle alone but is directly linked to environmental and social factors shaped by historical policies.
​
EPA’s Environmental Justice Screening Tool (EJSCREEN) reveals that neighborhoods historically redlined in Atlanta are disproportionately located near major highways, freight corridors, and industrial zones-sources of nitrogen dioxide (NOâ‚‚) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5), pollutants scientifically proven to exacerbate asthma and other respiratory conditions. For example, studies published in Environmental Science & Technology Lettersconfirm that these redlined areas have significantly higher concentrations of these harmful pollutants compared to non-redlined neighborhoods.
The Data Speaks: Asthma and Respiratory Illness in Redlined Neighborhoods
Mapping the Crisis: Spatial Correlation of Redlining and Health Outcomes
The Mapping Inequality Project’s overlays starkly illustrate how the boundaries drawn nearly a century ago align with today’s hotspots of poor air quality and respiratory illness. These maps reveal a direct spatial correlation between redlined zones and neighborhoods with the highest asthma hospitalization rates and environmental stress scores in Atlanta.
This health disparity is a clear example of environmental injustice-where race and place determine the quality of air residents breathe and their risk of chronic illness. Understanding the historical roots of these disparities is essential for crafting effective policy solutions that prioritize investment in affected communities, improve housing and healthcare access, and reduce pollution exposure.
By confronting the intertwined legacies of racism, urban planning, and environmental neglect, Atlanta can begin to dismantle the systemic barriers that have compromised the respiratory health of its Black residents for generations.
Why This Matters: Toward Environmental Justice and Health Equity
Environmental and Socioeconomic Roots of Respiratory Disparities
Legacy of Redlining and Systemic Disinvestment
The Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) and Federal Housing Administration (FHA) maps from the 1930s systematically labeled Black neighborhoods as “hazardous,” cutting them off from mortgage investment and infrastructure improvements. This led to decades of neglect, where essential amenities like green spaces, clean transit, and quality housing were withheld. Traci Voyles’ research highlights how even after the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act of 1975 exposed discriminatory lending, the structural effects of redlining persisted, leaving urban environments deteriorated and vulnerable.
Proximity to Pollution Sources
The Environmental Protection Agency documents that redlined neighborhoods frequently border highways and industrial facilities, exposing residents to diesel exhaust and airborne particulates. This chronic exposure is a primary driver of elevated asthma rates. Fulton County Health reports show that emergency room visits and hospitalizations for asthma are significantly higher in these communities, especially among Black children.
Housing and Healthcare Barriers
Substandard housing conditions-characterized by mold, pests, and poor ventilation-are prevalent in these neighborhoods and worsen respiratory health. Compounding this is limited access to healthcare facilities and preventive services, a consequence of ongoing economic disinvestment. Wayne Art’s analysis of the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) reveals that while intended to address banking discrimination, enforcement has been uneven, allowing many redlined areas to remain underserved.
Deficiency of Green Spaces and Urban Heat Islands
Research shows that redlined neighborhoods have fewer parks and tree canopies, which naturally filter air pollutants and cool urban heat islands. The absence of green infrastructure not only increases exposure to airborne irritants but also elevates local temperatures, further exacerbating respiratory ailments.