Storymapping the Historic Changes to Redlined Neighborhoods in Your Community

Redlining shaped the fortunes and futures of Americans of color for generations, but the story of its impact is passing from living memory as these survivors age and communities transform. This workshop provides mapping tools that community engaged scholars can use to help their partners preserve the legacy of once vibrant neighborhoods, and the destructive impact redlining and highway construction has had since the end of World War II. Attendees will learn (1) where to find maps on historic redlines in their communities; (2) how to layer maps on top of these to show change over time; (3) how to add highway construction to these maps; (4) where to find historical data to join with maps; and (5) how to publish these maps on ArcGIS Online through its powerful StoryMap feature. This tool allows users to easily scroll through decades of change while observing how redlining predicted the location of highways, and how those highways erased entire neighborhoods for the sake of convenience and higher property values in the suburbs. Equipped with these tools scholars can help their community partners tell their story through StoryMaps. Personal vignettes and archival photos in particular aide the impact StoryMaps can have. To get the most out of this workshop, attendees should have basic familiarity with mapping concepts and software such as ArcGIS.