Hell with the Lid Off: Racial Segregation and Environmental Equity in America’s Most Polluted City

Spencer Banzhaf, William Mathews and Randall Walsh

No 347603, CEnREP Working Papers from North Carolina State University, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics

Abstract: This study examines the relationship between racial segregation and environmental equity in Pittsburgh from 1910 to 1940. Utilizing newly digitized historical data on the spatial distribution of air pollution in what was likely America’s most polluted city, we analyze how racial disparities in exposure to air pollution evolved during this period of heightening segregation. Our findings reveal that black residents experi- enced significantly higher levels of pollution compared to their white counterparts, and this disparity increased over time. We identify within-city moves as a critical factor exacerbating this inequity, with black movers facing increased pollution expo- sure. In contrast, European immigrants, who were also initially exposed to relatively high levels of pollution, experience declining exposure as they assimilate over this time period. We also provide evidence of the capitalization of air pollution into hous- ing markets. Taken as a whole, our results underscore the importance of considering environmental factors in discussions of racial and economic inequalities.

Keywords: Environmental; Economics; and; Policy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 55
Date: 2024-10-23
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ene, nep-env, nep-his and nep-ure
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https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/347603/files/R ... st-Polluted-City.pdf (application/pdf)

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Working Paper: Hell with the Lid Off: Racial Segregation and Environmental Equity in America’s Most Polluted City (2024)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:nccewp:347603

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.347603

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