Does context matter in environmental justice patterns? Evidence on warehousing location from four metro areas in California

Abstract

Warehousing activities generate substantial externalities that affect surrounding neighborhoods. Using data for four major metropolitan areas in California, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Sacramento, this study tests the relationship between the spatial distribution of warehouses and disadvantaged neighborhoods. The results based on spatial presentation and statistical models show that warehouses are disproportionately located in minority neighborhoods, regardless of the differences in urban contexts. In specific, medium-income and low-income minority neighborhoods are more likely to have higher concentration of warehouses than medium-or-low-income white ones. The four metros are diversified in the roles of global trade, land availability, and the size of the warehousing industry. However, the spatial patterns are found consistent across these metros, suggesting that the environmental justice problem in warehousing location is a common concern. Local governments should monitor and evaluate the rapid spatial expansion of warehousing facilities and make efforts to mitigate subsequent environmental impacts that are disproportionately located in disadvantaged communities.