Hidden spatial inequality & GIS |
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| Ben Marsh Geography and Environmental Studies Bucknell University Contact |
Allan Parnell Ann Joyner Cedar Grove Institute for Sustainable Communities © 2009 |
| Uncovering cryptic governmental racial discrimination using GIS This ongoing research presents cases where governmental decisions concerning the local political geography have institutionalized racial inequality; the cases are documented with maps created from public GIS data. |
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Local political geographies are the vehicle for discriminatory municipal practices |
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What is 'cryptic discrimination' and how do municipalities come to develop it? |
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GIS helps solve spatial problems by comparing patterns on 'layers' of maps. Patterns of race or ethnicity can be compared to patterns of governmental action, annexation, infrastructure, etc. |
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Underbounding — abuse of annexation rules Underbounding occurs when municipalities annex only up to the edge of minority neighborhoods, thus excluding them from political involvement |
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Selective annexation preserves majority power Underbounding enables majority white towns to avoid the "dilution" of majority political power, by the minority residents of the real community defined by the population in the larger area. |
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'Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction' Extraterritorial jurisdiction is a tool to project political power over nearby disenfranchised communities |
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Underbounding and infrastructure Underbounding excludes minority neighborhoods from municipal sewer and other services |
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Infrastructure is withheld from minority parts of the communties for no clear policy reason, in some cases |
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Contemporary zoning patterns are often legacies of dramatically racist zoning patterns of the past. |
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Targeted code enforcement is an effective tool to be used by local governments to make life unpleasant for portions of the community whom they disfavor. |
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Inequitable urban redevelopment Redevelopment can be a political tool for the removal of disfavored sub-populations, and the support of favored sub-populations Portsmouth, VA |
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"Good government" rules — that exist to optimize the efficiency of local governments -- also ease the abuse of the less powerful |