The long-run effect of historical redlining practices on social vulnerability in U.S. cities

Abstract

Historical redlining practices in the United States date back to the 1930s and have continued to impact cities socially, environmentally, and economically since then. This study explores current social vulnerability inequity among former HOLC (Home Owners' Loan Corporation) neighborhoods with four color-coded grades in 196 U.S. digitized cities. Social vulnerability measurements for each historical HOLC neighborhood were calculated using 2018 census tract-level social vulnerability data through areal apportionment. Kruskal-Wallis tests were employed to compare four grades of former HOLC neighborhoods regarding overall social vulnerability index (SVI), four thematic SVIs (Social economic status, Household composition and disability, Minority status and language, and Housing type and transportation), and SVIs for fifteen social vulnerability factors. After applying multiple comparison corrections, the results indicate significant differences among four HOLC grades concerning overall social vulnerability, four themes, and most of social vulnerability factors. In general, grade A (green) neighborhoods exhibit the lowest vulnerability, while grade D (red) neighborhoods have the highest vulnerability. A similar pattern of social vulnerability inequity persists even after adjusting for inter-city differences in baseline social factors using the city-normalized SVI (CSVI). This finding suggests that urban planners and policymakers should work to reduce social vulnerability inequity across neighborhoods of different grades.