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In the NoCo

Residuals of redlining: Denver’s residents of color breathe dirtier air due to racist practice of the past

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A smog-filled skyline view of Denver.
David Zalubowski
/
AP
The smog-filled skyline of Denver does not affect residents equally. For example, many people of color live in Commerce City, a historically redlined area. They are hit harder by the effects of air pollution there due to the Suncor refinery and the area's proximity to the highway.

People of color in Denver breathe some of the area’s worst air. from the University of Colorado Boulder not only shows that the air in some neighborhoods is more polluted than others, it also links that disparity to an outlawed practice called redlining. In the 1930s and 40s, lenders and governments used color-coded maps to identify areas where people of color lived and deny those residents mortgages. The practice was outlawed in the 1960s but many of the social, health, and economic impacts persist today.

Lead researcher Alex Bradley, a chemistry doctoral student, sat down with In The NoCo’s Erin O’Toole to discuss the connection between redlining and poor air quality in Denver neighborhoods.

KUNC's In The NoCo is a daily slice of stories, news, people and issues. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show brings context and insight to the stories of the day, often elevating unheard voices in the process. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we celebrate the lighter side of things here, too.
As the host of KUNC’s new program and podcast In the NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation. I love finding the stories and voices that reflect what makes NoCo such an extraordinary place to live.
I wear many hats in KUNC's newsroom as an executive producer, editor and reporter. My work focuses on inequality, the systems of power that entrench it, and the people who are disproportionately affected. I help reporters in my newsroom to also uncover these angles and elevate unheard voices in the process.