Put simply, this visualization recenters geography as contested terrain for the rendering of specific places more toxic than others as they intersect with the inhabited spaces of racialized others.
Perhaps historicization. a time-based mapping (overlays) of demographic change and the emergence (and remediation) of toxic sites determined by each decennial census since 1990 (1990, 2000, 2010, 2020? - forthcoming). Also, an added layer of land-use zoning adjustments, official comprehensive planning documents, remediation policies, variances granted by local planning authorities and litigation gathered from court cases.
The most appealing aspect of the image is related to its aesthetic. By using a color gradient that increases in darkness as the percentage of the Non-Hispanic White population decreases, it compellingly sends out two critical messages. The explicit conclusion shows a causal link between racialized groups and higher concentrations of toxic landscapes. More, implicitly is the near absence of toxic sites in predominantly white geographies which, mapped out as such, works to reinforce the notion of whiteness as a de-racialized category.
It may be useful to rethink the mapping less an outcome of environmental injustice on social communities but rather as a starting point to expand our theoretical understandings of "racialization." For example, how might this map provide an empirical example of what constitutes a "racial project?" Conversely, how might it serve as an emancipatory tool for political action?
This visual evokes a powerful message about the intersection of racialization and environmental injustices that warrants deeper investigation. The layering of statistical data gathered from census tracts with other information such as "brownfield sites" using cartography serves an indispensable tool for visualizing how racializing assemblages manifest spatially. It reminds us of the influential work of Ian McHarg, prior to the advent of GIS technologies in his 1969 published book, Design with Nature.