Environmental Justice Story Map: Community Health Impacts of Pollution in the South Bay of San Diego
App Motivation
This StoryMap was created to help spread awareness about the health equity crisis connected to pollution in the South Bay of San Diego. The project specifically examines the Tijuana River pollution crisis and its downstream impacts on environmental quality, community health, and equity.
By combining environmental data with community-informed perspectives, the StoryMap aims to make complex environmental health issues accessible to the public and to decision-makers responsible for environmental and public health policy.
About the Application
The StoryMap explores pollution patterns, community health risks, and equity implications across the South Bay region. It integrates:
- Asset maps highlighting community resources
- Choropleth maps built from open-source datasets
- Community survey data capturing lived experiences and local knowledge
Together, these layers provide a multidimensional understanding of how environmental hazards intersect with social vulnerability.
Target Users
This StoryMap was designed for:
- General public and community residents
- Local and state government stakeholders
- Environmental justice advocates and community organizations
Features
Community + Data Integration Combines community survey insights with environmental datasets to highlight both measurable exposures and lived experiences.
Multi-Map Approach Includes asset maps and choropleth maps to support multiple ways of understanding environmental health inequities.
Public Education Focus Designed to make environmental justice data understandable for non-technical audiences.
Web App:
storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/ddcdc1cef545490aaa9e8a2fe3c7db1d
Tech Stack:
ArcGIS StoryMaps
Social Media
Clean Coast Collaborative: www.instagram.com/cleancoastcollaborative/
