Document Type
Honors Project - Open Access
Abstract
Redlining, a discriminatory housing policy from the 1930s, shaped lastng urban inequalites that may extend to environmental conditons. This study examines links between redlining and urban water quality in the Twin Cites using algal communites as indicators. Across 28 water bodies sampled in 2022 and 2024, physical, chemical, and biological metrics were compared by redlining grade. Results show limited relatonships between redlining and most variables, with only surface water temperature differing significantly. Nutrients and algal diversity were unrelated to redlining, instead reflectng present-day conditons. These findings suggest contemporary factors play a stronger role than redlining in shaping urban freshwater ecosystems.
Recommended Citation
Akins, Georgia C., "Red Lines, Green Blooms: Assessing the Effects of Historical Environmental Disparity on Algal Communities in the Twin Cities, MN" (2026). Environmental Studies Honors Projects. 23.
https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/envi_honors/23
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