Residential Zoning by Race - The Wrong Side of the Tracks

by Carolyn Ristau

In our previous two posts, we showed how city-wide in Pittsburgh there is a correlation between residential zoning districts, redlining, and race. Single-family zoning districts tend to be in areas graded good for investment and White neighborhoods. Multi-family zoning districts tend to be in areas graded bad for investment and Black neighborhoods.

Returning to the neighborhoods of Homewood and Point Breeze that inspired this project, these patterns clearly play out. Homewood and Point Breeze are separated by a railroad track. The Point Breeze (southerly) side of the tracks is predominantly single-family zoning districts, graded good for investment, and White. The Homewood (northerly) side of the tracks is predominantly multi-family zoning districts, graded bad for investment, and Black.

More maps how the correlation between redlining, race, and zoning districts in Homewood and Point Breeze has developed over the last 100 years are available on the main project page.