An environmental justice framework analysis leveraging spatial mapping and community environmental burden assessment methodology in Denver, Colorado

Abstract

Environmental injustices are shaped by interconnected social, political, and environmental systems that shape risk and resource distribution among communities. This dissertation investigates the multifaceted influences of environmental health disparities by combining systems thinking, community participation, and spatial analyses. It focuses on the Globeville, Elyria, and Swansea (GES) neighborhoods in northeast Denver, Colorado, and demonstrates how structural factors, the built environment, and environmental exposures shape current health outcomes in historically marginalized communities burdened by industrial activity and urban disinvestment. In Aim 1, we examine how socioeconomic factors, cultural backgrounds, and local policies intersect to shape health outcomes. We used systems thinking with a community-led Root Cause Analysis (RCA) to identify and map feedback loops sustaining environmental injustices. These reinforcing feedback loops highlight how deeply ingrained power dynamics continue to drive health disparities in GES. Aim 2 explores the historical implications of discriminatory housing practices (i.e., redlining) and their lasting impacts on current sociodemographic patterns and urban infrastructure. We use geospatial data to assess how these historical practices have influenced current disparities in urban tree canopy coverage, which is vital for neighborhood cooling, air quality, and overall urban resilience. This analysis highlights that environmental injustices continue to be shaped by historical influences and legacies. In Aim 3, we conducted a Community Environmental Burden Assessment (CEBA) to quantify health impacts related to air pollution exposure while incorporating community lived experiences to shape the scope of the analysis. Our findings indicate that GES faces higher health burdens attributable to air pollution exposure compared to other Denver neighborhoods. Overall, this dissertation highlights that environmental health disparities are not merely outcomes of exposure but are shaped by systems that perpetuate historical disadvantages. By combining community knowledge with systems science and spatial analytics, this work contributes to the growing body of environmental justice research, emphasizing the importance of local studies and advocating for community-led, practical solutions to address systemic inequities and enhance the quality of life for environmental justice communities.