This summer I have been continuously developing a map of environmental air pollution sources from all across Philadelphia. It includes the big things—refineries and other large-scale industries; as well as the small things—like the 130 gas stations peppered across the city. It includes the obvious—city traffic and highway routes, but also a surprisingly large number of bakeries. With over fifty layers made up of dozens of different sources and types of data, the aim of the project is to identify “hot spots” across the city—places where air pollution has reached worrying peaks. The map shows us that these are the places most at risk of lung disease, asthma, and overall poor air quality. The first step in solving any problem is identifying it, and that is what I’ve intended to do. By finding these hot spots, we’ve also found the communities most at risk. I aim to create a visual that would allow these people, policymakers, and other interested parties to see how the deck is metaphorically stacked against those living in certain areas of the city. From there we can work toward developing healthier communities, and so on to a healthier Philadelphia. Throughout this research, I’ve learned a great deal about not only the technical aspects of geography and health mapping but also about how the environment we find ourselves in so drastically impacts our health and wellbeing. I’m just as aware as the next public health enthusiast that smoking devastates the lungs and vaping isn’t any better—but it hadn’t much occurred to me prior to my project to take into account the idling cars along the street, the particulate matter wafting from the confectionery down the block, or whatever that smell is coming from the chemical plants by the river. I’m proud of what I’ve created and enjoyed creating it—with time I think it could become a resource toward the betterment of Philadelphia’s air.
