Urban Studies and Planning Commons^™

Environmental Justice And Information Technologies: Overcoming The Information Access Paradox In Urban Communities, Wendy A. Kellogg, Anjali Mathur

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

Scientific studies and resident testimony suggest that urban residents in low-income and minority communities have been subject to an unequal burden of environmental pollution and inequitable environmental enforcement practices. A key component of the equitable development and implementation of environmental policies is the participation of citizens and community-based organizations in the policy process. Such participation rests upon equitable access to agency-generated environmental information and effective use of that information by citizens. This article focuses on the adoption of Internet technologies by environmental agencies as a mechanism for disseminating information and the implications for low-income and minority residents in urban communities. …