Highland Hills at a Glance: Mapping Environmental Amenities and Disamenities in the Southern Sector of Dallas, Texas

Abstract

Environmental justice is understood as the disproportionate distribution of environmental harms, primarily in low-income communities of color. This may also be understood as a concentration of environmental disamenities—challenges the community faces and resources they lack. However, every community also has their own unique environmental assets and strengths. Identifying these amenities may help in developing strategies to address challenges. There is reason to believe that Highland Hills, in the southern sector of Dallas, Texas, lies in an environmental justice community of concern. There is also reason to believe that Paul Quinn College, a historically black college or university (HBCU), may be an important asset in the community. This single case study of the Highland Hills community uses data collected through a series of five focus groups involving community leaders and Paul Quinn College students, faculty, and staff, in order to identify the unique environmental amenities and disamenities this community contains. I also explore ways to visualize the physical and abstract data we obtained in the focus groups through community asset mapping. These results are intended to inform and empower the community.