New zoning practices protect marginalized communities from polluters

What questions should we be asking about proposed development and the effects on the health of low income communities and communities of color? Is pollution concentrated in marginalized communities in Asheville, and how might new zoning practices present a solution?

The report notes that, ”examples of racial zoning are ubiquitous in planning history.” These same local zoning codes and land-use policies are now being used to address both existing and future pollution sources concentrated in low-income communities and communities of color. The report’s authors write: “If zoning and land use policies got us into this mess, they have the potential to get us out of it.”

Read more about how zoning is creating greater environmental justice here.