Most of the text in this description originally appeared on the Mapping Inequality Website. Robert K. Nelson, LaDale Winling, Richard Marciano, Nathan Connolly, et al., “Mapping Inequality,” American Panorama, ed. Robert K. Nelson and Edward L. Ayers,

"HOLC staff members, using data and evaluations organized by local real estate professionals--lenders, developers, and real estate appraisers--in each city, assigned grades to residential neighborhoods that reflected their "mortgage security" that would then be visualized on color-coded maps. Neighborhoods receiving the highest grade of "A"--colored green on the maps--were deemed minimal risks for banks and other mortgage lenders when they were determining who should received loans and which areas in the city were safe investments. Those receiving the lowest grade of "D," colored red, were considered "hazardous."

Conservative, responsible lenders, in HOLC judgment, would "refuse to make loans in these areas [or] only on a conservative basis." HOLC created area descriptions to help to organize the data they used to assign the grades. Among that information was the neighborhood's quality of housing, the recent history of sale and rent values, and, crucially, the racial and ethnic identity and class of residents that served as the basis of the neighborhood's grade. These maps and their accompanying documentation helped set the rules for nearly a century of real estate practice. "

HOLC agents grading cities through this program largely "adopted a consistently white, elite standpoint or perspective. HOLC assumed and insisted that the residency of African Americans and immigrants, as well as working-class whites, compromised the values of homes and the security of mortgages. In this they followed the guidelines set forth by Frederick Babcock, the central figure in early twentieth-century real estate appraisal standards, in his Underwriting Manual: "The infiltration of inharmonious racial groups ... tend to lower the levels of land values and to lessen the desirability of residential areas."

These grades were a tool for redlining: making it difficult or impossible for people in certain areas to access mortgage financing and thus become homeowners. Redlining directed both public and private capital to native-born white families and away from African American and immigrant families. As homeownership was arguably the most significant means of intergenerational wealth building in the United States in the twentieth century, these redlining practices from eight decades ago had long-term effects in creating wealth inequalities that we still see today. Mapping Inequality, we hope, will allow and encourage you to grapple with this history of government policies contributing to inequality."

Data was copied from the Mapping Inequality Website for communities in Western Pennsylvania where data was available. These communities include Altoona, Erie, Johnstown, Pittsburgh, and New Castle. Data included original and georectified images, scans of the neighborhood descriptions, and digital map layers. Data here was downloaded on June 9, 2020.

The Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) was a New Deal era program that graded neighborhoods based on perceived loan risk, but largely based on immigrant status and populations of color. Affluent areas were often graded as “A” or “Best” due to the low perceived risk of loan default. The riskiest grade was “D” or “Hazardous” and were predominantly communities of color and immigrant neighborhoods.These practices, while banned in 1968, have been linked to significant and increasing economic and demographic disparities through time. We are now also finding that these redlined areas are also associated with more extreme urban heat island effects, and that this is likely due to their lack of tree canopy and greater impervious surface (things like asphalt and cement roads) percentage.A recent paper by Hoffman et al. (2020) has connected these borrowing practices with the resulting impacts on local climate impacts along with human health. This map includes the following information for U.S. city neighborhoods:HOLC Grade (from the University of Richmond Digital Scholarship Lab)Average land surface temperature difference from citywide HOLC normal (reported in Hoffman et al., 2020)Tree cover percentage (from the National Land Cover Database)Impervious surface percentage (from the National Land Cover Database)Demographic information (from the American Community Survey)

HOLC, in consultation with local real estate professionals and local policymakers, categorized neighborhoods in hundreds of cities in the United States into four types: Best (A), Still Desirable (B), Definitely Declining (C), and Hazardous (D). So-called “hazardous” zones were colored red on these maps. These zones were then used to approve or deny credit-lending and mortgage-backing by banks and the Federal Housing Administration. The descriptions provided by HOLC in their reports rely heavily on race and ethnicity as critical elements in assigning these grades. According to the University of Richmond's Mapping Inequality project, “Arguably the HOLC agents in the other two hundred-plus cities graded through this program adopted a consistently white, elite standpoint or perspective. HOLC assumed and insisted that the residency of African-Americans and immigrants, as well as working-class whites, compromised the values of homes and the security of mortgages” (Mapping Inequality). HOLC’s classifications were one contributory factor in underinvestment in a neighborhood, and generally, although not always, closed off many, especially people of color, from the credit necessary to purchase their own homes.The 15 Worcester neighborhood zones included on the map are ordered from Zone 1 (categorized as "Best") to Zone 15, with the highest numbered zones included in the least desirable "Hazardous" category. The exact descriptions used by HOLC to classify the neighborhoods in 1936 are included, and therefore may contain some disturbing language. Many scholars and institutions have focused their efforts on tracking the effects the 1930s redlining maps still have today. The Mapping Inequality project by the University of Richmond has collected and analyzed a comprehensive set of redlining maps for more than 200 cities in the U.S. One of their conclusions is that, for most cities, there are striking and persistent geographic similarities between redlined zones and currently vulnerable areas even after eighty years. See the Mapping Inequality website for more information (https://dsl.richmond.edu/panorama/redlining).This digitized version prepared by the Worcester Regional Research Bureau was based on a scanned copy from the National Archives, obtained thanks to Dr. Robert Nelson, the Digital Scholarship Lab, and the rest of his team at Mapping Inequality at the University of Richmond. Dr. Nelson worked with The Research Bureau directly to track it down in the Archives.Informing Worcester is the City of Worcester's open data portal where interested parties can obtain public information at no cost.

The practice of redlining was codified by a series of maps created as part of the New Deal by the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation, which evaluated the mortgage lending risk of neighborhoods.

Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC) Redlining maps were developed between 1935-1940 to denote credit-worthiness and risk on neighborhood and metropolitan levels. This in turn produced a map of racial inequalities across the United States. Data clipped to focus on Gateway Cities.KeyGreen is A "Best"Blue is B "Still Desirable"Yellow is C "Definitely Declining"Red is D "Hazardous" (Redline)

The Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) was a U.S. federal agency that graded mortgage investment risk of neighborhoods across the U.S. between 1935 and 1940. HOLC residential security maps standardized neighborhood risk appraisal methods that included race and ethnicity, pioneering the institutional logic of residential “redlining.” The Mapping Inequality Project digitized the HOLC mortgage security risk maps from the 1930s. We overlaid the HOLC maps with 2010 and 2020 census tracts for 142 cities across the U.S. using ArcGIS and determined the proportion of HOLC residential security grades contained within the boundaries. We assigned a numerical value to each HOLC risk category as follows: 1 for “A” grade, 2 for “B” grade, 3 for “C” grade, and 4 for “D” grade. We calculated a historic redlining score from the summed proportion of HOLC residential security grades multiplied by a weighting factor based on area within each census tract. A higher score means greater redlining of the census tract. Continuous historic redlining score, assessing the degree of “redlining,” as well as national and CBSA-specific quartiles of redlining, can be linked to existing data sources by census tract identifier allowing for one form of structural racism in the housing market to be assessed with a variety of outcomes.

The Redlining in Milwaukee County Application is used to view historical redlining areas in Milwaukee County. A link to the original document from the Home Owner's Loan Corporation (HOLC) is available in the popup for each redlining area polygon. This is a public application that is available on the LIO website.

The Home Owners' Loan Corporation was established in 1933 by the U.S Congress to refinance mortgages in default and prevent foreclosures. In 1935 they created residential security maps for 239 cities to indicate the level of security for real-estate investments. The maps were graded such as the newest areas, which were considered desirable for lending received a "Type A" grade. These areas were primarily wealthy suburbs on the outskirts of town. Still Desirable neighborhoods were given a "Type B" grade and older neighborhoods were given a "Type C" grade and considered Declining. Lastly "Type D" neighborhoods were regarded as most risky for mortgage lending.If you are citing Mapping Inequality or acknowledge the source of any of the following data, we recommend the following format using the Chicago Manual of Style.Robert K. Nelson, LaDale Winling, Richard Marciano, Nathan Connolly, et al., “Mapping Inequality,” American Panorama, ed. Robert K. Nelson and Edward L. Ayers, accessed September 16, 2020, https://dsl.richmond.edu/panorama/redlining/[YOUR VIEW].

From:Robert K. Nelson, LaDale Winling, Richard Marciano, Nathan Connolly, et al., “Mapping Inequality,” American Panorama, ed. Robert K. Nelson and Edward L. Ayers, accessed May 26, 2021

This layer presents the 2020 U.S. Census Tract boundaries of the United States in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. This layer is updated annually. The geography is sourced from U.S. Census Bureau 2020 TIGER FGDB (National Sub-State) and edited using TIGER Hydrography to add a detailed coastline for cartographic purposes. Attribute fields include 2020 total population from the U.S. Census Public Law 94 data.This ready-to-use layer can be used in ArcGIS Pro and in ArcGIS Online and its configurable apps, dashboards, StoryMaps, custom apps, and mobile apps. The data can also be exported for offline workflows. Cite the 'U.S. Census Bureau' when using this data.

MAPPING INEQUALITY Redlining in New Deal America Atlanta How Owners' Loan Corporation 1938 Mapping Inequality introduces viewer to the records of the Home Owners' Loan Corporation on a scale that is unprecedented. Here you can browse more than 150 interactive maps and thousands of "area descriptions." These materials afford an extraordinary view of the contours of wealth and racial inequality in Depression-era American cities and insights into discriminatory policies and practices that so profoundly shaped cities that we feel their legacy to this day.https://dsl.richmond.edu/panorama/redlining/

Disclaimer: This application is a DRAFT and is still under development. Data source: Mapping Inequality: Redlining in New Deal America, https://dsl.richmond.edu/panorama/redliningThe Home Owners Loan CorporationThe Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC) was created in 1933. The HOLC created a neighborhood ranking system infamously known today as redlining. Local real estate developers and appraisers in over 200 cities assigned grades to residential neighborhoods. These maps and neighborhood ratings set the rules for decades of real estate practices. The grades ranged from A to D. A was traditionally colored in green, B was traditionally colored in blue, C was traditionally colored in yellow, and D was traditionally colored in red. Grading:A (Best): Always upper- or upper-middle-class White neighborhoods that HOLC defined as posing minimal risk for banks and other mortgage lenders, as they were "ethnically homogeneous" and had room to be further developed.B (Still Desirable): Generally nearly or completely White, U.S. -born neighborhoods that HOLC defined as "still desirable" and sound investments for mortgage lenders.C (Declining): Areas where the residents were often working-class and/or first or second generation immigrants from Europe. These areas often lacked utilities and were characterized by older building stock.D (Hazardous): Areas here often received this grade because they were "infiltrated" with "undesirable populations" such as Jewish, Asian, Mexican, and Black families. These areas were more likely to be close to industrial areas and to have older housing.Year: 2023Provider: Nelson, Robert K., LaDale Winling, et al. "Mapping Inequality: Redlining in New Deal America." Edited by Robert K. Nelson and Edward L. Ayers. American Panorama: An Atlas of United States History, 2023. https://dsl.richmond.edu/panorama/redlining.

Redlining Los Angeles, Tile 2. From Richmond DSL

Home ownership persists as the primary way that families build wealth. Housing researchers and advocates often discuss the racial home ownership gap, particularly for Black and Hispanic households (Urban Institute, Pew Hispanic Center). Historical policies such as redlining, steering, and municipal underbounding have effects that stay with us today.This map shows the overall home ownership rate and the home ownership rate by race/ethnicity of householder in a chart in the pop-up. Map is multi-scale showing data for state, county, and tract.This map uses these hosted feature layers containing the most recent American Community Survey data. These layers are part of the ArcGIS Living Atlas, and are updated every year when the American Community Survey releases new estimates, so values in the map always reflect the newest data available.

The Health Atlas for the City of Los Angeles 2021 presents a data-driven snapshot of health conditions and outcomes in the City of Los Angeles. It illustrates geographic variation in socio-economic conditions, demographic characteristics, the physical environment, and access to support systems and services, and provides a context for understanding how these factors contribute to the health of Angelenos.The data underscore a key issue: where Angelenos live often influences their health and well-being. Los Angeles is a city with great health disparities and the patterns of inequality are reflected in many of the indicators highlighted in the Health Atlas. The spatial characteristics of physical and social determinants of health have roots in structural racism and historic and ongoing discrimination. Historic policies such as redlining have had lasting effects in Los Angeles. The analysis is a first step in understanding the areas of the City burdened with the most adverse health-related conditions in order to improve health outcomes and environmental justice for all Angelenos.The Health Atlas contains 115 maps covering regional context, demographic and social characteristics, economic conditions, education, health conditions, land use, transportation, food systems, crime, housing, and environmental health. In addition to displaying US Census Bureau, City, County, and other data, the Health Atlas contains several indices to facilitate comparisons across the city on subjects including environmental hazards (Map 113: Pollution Burden Index), transportation quality (Map 84: Transportation Index), and economic conditions (Map 19: Hardship Index). The Health Atlas culminates in a Community Health and Equity Index (Maps 114 and 115) which combines many of the above variables into a single index to compare health conditions across the City of Los Angeles. The Community Health and Equity Index can be used to understand the areas of the city with the highest vulnerabilities and cumulative burdens as compared to other portions of the City.The Health Atlas for the City of Los Angeles was originally developed in 2013 as an early step in the process to develop a Health, Wellness, and Equity Element of the General Plan (also known as the Plan for a Healthy Los Angeles). This data set is an update of the Health Atlas, completed in 2021. The Health Element and both editions of the Health Atlas are available as PDFs on the Los Angeles City Planning website, https://planning.lacity.gov.

Redlining Los Angeles, Tile 1. From Richmond DSL

This dataset is refreshed on a weekly basis from the datasets the team works on daily.Last update date: 31 July 2025.National Highways Operational Highway Boundary (RedLine) maps out the land belonging to the highway for the whole Strategic Road Network (SRN). It comprises two layers; one being the an outline and another showing the registration status / category of land of land that makes up the boundary. Due to the process involved in creating junctions with local highway authority (LHA) roads, land in this dataset may represent LHA highway (owned by National Highways but the responsibility of the LHA to maintain). Surplus land or land held for future projects does not form part of this dataset.The highway boundary is derived from:Ordnance Survey Mastermap Topography,HM Land Registry National Polygon Service (National Highway titles only), andplots researched and digitised during the course of the RedLine Boundary Project.The boundary is split into categories describing the decisions made for particular plots of land. These categories are as follows:Auto-RedLine category is for plots created from an automated process using Ordnance Survey MasterMap Topography as a base. Land is not registered under National Highways' name. For example, but not limited to, unregistered ‘ancient’ highway vested in Highways England, or bridge carrying highways over a rail line.NH Title within RedLine category is for plots created from Land Registry Cadastral parcels whose proprietor is National Highways or a predecessor. Land in this category is within the highway boundary (audited) or meets a certain threshold by the algorithm.NH Title outside RedLine category is for plots created in the same way as above but these areas are thought to be outside the highway boundary. Where the Confidence is Low, land in this category is yet to be audited. Where the Confidence is High, land in this category has been reviewed and audited as outside our operational boundary.National Highways (Technician) Data category is for plots created by National Highways, digitised land parcels relating to highway land that is not registered, not yet registered or un-registerable.Road in Tunnel category, created using tunnel outlines from Ordnance Survey MasterMap Topography data. These represent tunnels on Highways England’s network. Land is not registered under National Highways' name, but land above the tunnel may be in National Highways’ title. Please refer to the definitive land ownership records held at HM Land Registry.The process attribute details how the decision was made for the particular plot of land. These are as follows:Automated category denotes data produced by an automated process. These areas are yet to be audited by the company.Audited category denotes data that has been audited by the company.Technician Data (Awaiting Audit) category denotes data that was created by National Highways but is yet to be audited and confirmed as final.The confidence attribute details how confident you can be in the decision. This attribute is derived from both the decisions made during the building of the underlying automated dataset as well as whether the section has been researched and/or audited by National Highways staff. These are as follows:High category denotes land that has a high probability of being within the RedLine boundary. These areas typically are audited or are features that are close to or on the highway.Moderate category denotes land that is likely to be within the highway boundary but is subject to change once the area has been audited.Low category denotes land that is less likely to be within the highway boundary. These plots typically represent Highways England registered land that the automated process has marked as outside the highway boundary.Please note that this dataset is indicative only. For queries about this dataset please contact the GIS and Research Team.

Map applications included arethe November 2022 release of the updated 2020 block groups designated as EJ2020 EJ attributes for all MA block groupsLanguages spoken within census tract ACS data from 2015 and DESE data from 2021 (2022?)Redlining in Massachusetts

Redlining Los Angeles, Tile 3. From Richmond DSL

Home ownership persists as the primary way that families build wealth. Housing researchers and advocates often discuss the racial home ownership gap, particularly for Black and Hispanic households (Urban Institute, Pew Hispanic Center). Historical policies such as redlining, steering, and municipal underbounding have effects that stay with us today.This map shows the overall home ownership rate and the home ownership rate by race/ethnicity of householder in a chart in the pop-up. Map is multi-scale showing data for state, county, and tract.This map uses these hosted feature layers containing the most recent American Community Survey data. These layers are part of the ArcGIS Living Atlas, and are updated every year when the American Community Survey releases new estimates, so values in the map always reflect the newest data available.