Rising Scholar: The Long-term Effects of Redlining on Climate Vulnerability and Food Insecurity

This paper examines the compounding impacts of redlining, climate change, and food insecurity in historically marginalized communities. Redlining, a discriminatory real-estate practice originating in the 1930s, systematically denied financial services to predominantly Black neighborhoods, resulting in entrenched socioeconomic disparities, degraded infrastructure, and limited access to fresh food and greenspaces. Today, these redlined communities face disproportionate effects of climate change due to reduced tree canopy and increased impervious surfaces, leading to heightened heat vulnerability and flood risks. Additionally, global warming has negative impacts on agriculture, resulting in rising food prices and disrupted food distribution chains.  This paper investigates the bidirectional and mutually reinforcing impacts of climate change and food insecurity in low-income urban environments. A case study examines these impacts in Washington, DC. It also explores the potential for urban food forestry and sustainable agricultural practices to address food insecurity caused by climate change and historic social inequities.