Creating a toxic neighborhood in Los Angeles County: A historical examination of environmental inequity

Christopher G. Boone, Ali Modarres

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

78 Scopus citations

Abstract

The city of Commerce, a largely industrial and Latino city east of Los Angeles, contains a disproportionately high concentration of manufacturers that emit toxic chemicals. The coincidence of a minority population and toxic sites is a classic example of environmental inequity. The authors seek to understand why industry located in this community. A historical investigation of the development of a hazardous community suggests that demographics alone are not responsible for the concentration of manufacturing in Commerce. The zoning decisions of the Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission in the 1920s and 1930s set the pattern of industrialization in Commerce.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)163-187
Number of pages25
JournalUrban Affairs Review
Volume35
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 1999
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Sociology and Political Science
  • Urban Studies

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