Development of an environmental justice index to determine socio-economic disparities of noise pollution and green space in residential areas in Berlin

Abstract

The majority of human beings worldwide live in urban areas; hence, methods to assess the quality of the urban environment and its impact on human well-being are of the utmost importance. Particularly relevant are areas with low levels of environmental justice, defined as areas where low biophysical quality meets low socio-economic status, and where resources and strategies for coping are rare. This paper develops and applies an index to assess the patterns of environmental justice in residential areas with a strong focus on stakeholder integration. We concentrate on the relationship between socio-economic disparities of environmental burdens, such as traffic noise, and of environmental benefits, such as vegetation, in residential areas of Berlin, Germany. To develop an environmental justice index, we combined the environmental burdens and benefits with a socio-economic indicator. As a result, we identify city-wide patterns of environmental justice in Berlin. While there was a high positive correlation between vegetation and socio-economic status, the patterns for noise pollution were very heterogeneous. Our approach provides a transparent and modular index allowing an area-wide monitoring of environmental justice in urban areas. Such an analysis is urgently needed to develop adequate decision-making strategies for all inhabitants to make living in a healthier city possible.