Do infrastructure deserts exist? Measuring and mapping infrastructure equity: A case study in Dallas, Texas, USA

Abstract

Neighborhood infrastructure, such as sidewalks, medical facilities, public transit, community gathering places, and tree canopy, provides essential support for safe, healthy, and resilient communities. This paper examines the presence and condition of neighborhood infrastructure and shows that “infrastructure deserts” exist, which are low-income neighborhoods with significantly more deficient infrastructure. A generalized data-driven framework is developed and implemented at the street-level for 12 types of neighborhood infrastructure in Dallas, Texas. The results show significant infrastructure inequities across income levels for most types of infrastructure. Statistical inference predicts (with 95 % confidence) that low-income neighborhoods are 2.0 to 3.5 times more likely to have highly deficient infrastructure (8 or more deficient infrastructure types) than high-income areas and 1.4 to 2.4 times more likely to have highly deficient infrastructure than middle-income neighborhoods. This paper addresses the methodological challenge of considering multiple infrastructure types and provides a guide for infrastructure investment prioritization.