How Land Use Maps Chart the Course for Environmental Justice
Maps tell stories. It is our job to uncover them.
In pursuit of a more sustainable future, environmental justice is a crucial part of the conversation. Pursuing environmental change in a manner that is just and equitable is of the utmost importance- in our environmental work we must protect marginalized communities from those who seek to take advantage of them for their own gain. One of the most powerful and perhaps undervalued tools in advocating for environmental justice is the land use map. There is significant power in understanding and leveraging the land use map, for these maps play a crucial role in identifying, addressing, and rectifying environmental disparities that disproportionately impact marginalized communities.
What is a Land Use Map?
Land use maps are tools that provide vital information about a region’s land use and cover patterns. They provide an overview of how different areas or parcels of land are currently used or intended to be used by illustrating the type of activities occurring in each location, such as residential, industrial, commercial, agricultural, recreational, or open space. Land use maps aid policy development, urban planning, and forest and agricultural monitoring. The image below displays what a land use map looks like for a region of Washington, D.C. This land use map was taken off the Washington D.C. Office of Planning website. These land use maps are available through various sources, but they are often provided by local government agencies and planning departments. If you are interested in finding the land use map for your community, check your local government website or planning and zoning office.
Here you can see how the various colors are indicative of various land uses. This region is primarily dominated by a pale pink, which is the color assigned to commercial usage. This map shows a region of the city that sits along the Potomac River, and from it is easy to see that most of the river front land is being used commercially. Additionally, one can see that there is a large region of parks and open spaces indicated by the green color. Only when we head north from the river do we enter residential areas, indicated by the color yellow.
In studying land use maps, we are able to determine a great deal. The land use map above primarily tells a story of commercialization along a waterfront. In other cases, land use maps can reveal a darker reality. Homes that reside next to toxic industrial plants, agricultural spaces that are surrounded by utility buildings. Stories, especially ones of environmental injustice, are buried within these maps waiting to be uncovered.
An Unjust History
While land use maps provide an overview of how different areas of land are currently used or intended to be used, this is different than a zoning map. A zoning map specifically outlines the legally permissible uses of land within designated zones or districts. Both maps provide complementary information, and both maps tell unjust stories.
The initial use of zoning in the United States primarily involved confining people with low incomes out of certain areas. Since then, zoning has continued to be used to restrict particular populations to particular parts of a city. This can be seen through industrial polluters, which are disproportionately located in communities of color and lower income. For example, much of Washington, D.C.’s industrial activity is packed into just a few neighborhoods in Ward 5, which is one of the city’s Blackest and poorest regions. Ward 5 contains rail yards to trash transfer stations to asphalt plants, all of which are seen prominently displayed on a land use map. It is by no accident that this part of the city also happens to be home to a marginalized community. This is not an isolated instance. Land use maps of cities elsewhere tell the same story.
Fortunately, several cities are working to change such injustices through policies that promote environmental justice. With an understanding of a land use map, one can anticipate how land is intended to be used. An even greater knowledge can be obtained by layering land use maps over population maps. If one were to layer the Washington D.C. land use map over a population map of the city, it would be evident that most of the industrial complexes reside in populations of lower-income individuals. There is a power in this evidence in that it can be used in the demand of environmental justice.
Leveraging the Power of Land Use Maps
Land use maps are indispensable tools in the fight for environmental justice. They provide a visual narrative that is essential for raising awareness, mobilizing communities, and influencing policy decisions. There are many ways in which land use maps can be utilized to create change.
It is of the utmost importance that land use maps are in the hands of individuals who intend to prioritize the needs of marginalized communities to ensure the future development is sustainable and just. Striving for be in position where one has the ability to oversee or advocate for land use maps and zoning policies is one way to ensure the planning for equitable development is prioritized.
Additionally, advocates can leverage land use maps to influence policy decisions. By presenting concrete evidence of environmental injustices, policymakers are more likely to implement zoning changes to create a more just distribution of environmental benefits and burdens.
Finally, familiarizing yourself with the land use map of your community can inform you of vulnerable areas and promote informed decision-making. At the end of the day, uncovering the stories that land use maps tell is crucial in the fight for environmental justice.
