Abstract
Recent regional research has taken an ‘infrastructure turn’ where scholars have called for examining the transformative ability of different infrastructures in causing systemic inequities beyond the spatial conception of ‘urban and the other’. This research examines the interconnected impact of infrastructure systems on existing spatial inequities through a study in metropolitan Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This study investigates whether the urban-rural (U-R) gradient concept can enhance understanding of the spatial relationship between socioeconomic indicators and infrastructure systems. Indicators of spatial inequalities were regressed against infrastructure variables and imperviousness, as a proxy for the U-R gradient, using multivariate and spatial regression methods. The models show that imperviousness has a positive correlation with the concentration of racialized minorities and a negative correlation with access to health insurance. The study also shows that the predictive power of multiple infrastructures varies across space and does not adhere to urban boundaries or the U-R gradient. The complex interactions among different infrastructures shape inequities and require further inquiry in urban regions around the world.
Highlights
This research examines the relationships among infrastructure systems and inequities to address the following questions: (1) Which indicators of inequity have a relationship with infrastructure? (2) How do proximity and access to infrastructure relate to inequities? (3) Do spatial relationships between equity, wellbeing, and infrastructure vary across urban and rural places within a region? This study investigates the spatial patterns of these inequities across a region, but it does not assess or measure the specific benefits or burdens created by different infrastructure systems, as this is out of the scope of our study
Two of our equity indicators. 1. concentration of African American and Hispanic population and 2. the population with health insurance have a strong relationship with multiple infrastructure systems
(b) How do proximity and access to infrastructure relate to inequities? Our results show that a higher density of imperviousness and state/inter-state road density was associated with racial inequities and lower access to health insurance
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Infrastructure systems are a vital component of the built environment because they deliver services for sustaining human life. Infrastructure directly impacts the health and wellbeing of communities by enabling mobility and providing access to healthcare, economic opportunities, energy, clean water, food, information, and many other resources [1]. Physical infrastructure may include roads, pipelines, information, and communication technologies, and many infrastructure sectors are co-dependent on other sectors. These infrastructure systems span and connect communities in urban, suburban, periurban, and rural areas, providing critical infrastructure networks across regions [2]
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