"The Highway to Displacement: Interstate 10 and Black Communities in New Orleans"
at 12:30pm on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 in Rockefeller 106 (Class of 1930 Room)
***IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY DONE SO, PLEASE RSVP IF YOU WILL BE ATTENDING THE LUNCH SEMINAR ON 4/16***
Please sign up for a Lunch slot on April 15
th, or Office Meeting on April 16
th
here
ABSTRACT
The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 authorized the construction of 41,000 miles of the U.S. interstate highway system, making it the largest public works program in U.S. history. While this system successfully connected
states and communities across the nation, the U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that nearly 500,000 households were displaced due to these construction projects. This project examines the economic consequences of a specific highway funded under this
Act in one city, namely Interstate 10 in New Orleans. Using newly constructed data from historical maps and exploiting census-tract level variation in highway placement, we find that Interstate 10 resulted in differential housing displacement in Black communities
compared to White communities. Specifically, Black communities saw a significant decline in housing units compared to White communities when both experienced highway construction. These results remain for decades following construction, suggesting that highway
construction left a legacy of racial inequality in New Orleans.
Draft not available
PLEASE NOTE:
Jhacova will be presenting "The Legacy of Southern Racism on Current Economic and Political Outcomes of Black Americans" the previous
day for the Public LIDO lecture from 5:00-6:00PM (Moore Hall B13 - Filene Auditorium)