Geodesign a Better Future

By Victor Zaragoza Jr.

What happens when the solution becomes the problem? In Los Angeles, the Metro rail line system intends to support marginalized communities, but it also threatens to displace those same residents in those homes through gentrification. I had the opportunity to address this paradox through my Geodesign major at the University of Southern California. This interdisciplinary program integrates spatial sciences, urban planning, and other disciplines to create sustainable solutions to complex urban challenges.

In this course, my team and I partnered with the Los Angeles Metro Office of Equity and Race to advance equity in rail transportation across LA County. We spent over two hours searching through dusty reports and stacks of decade-old books at the LA Metro library for any relevant information to support our study. Our team divided the work: Taylor was analyzing a handcrafted Laura Whitlock map from 1920 hanging near the library’s entrance, while Mariana browsed worn redlining studies she had gathered from the towering bookshelves, and I reviewed the pile of scholarly sources the library assistant had obtained for me on rail inequality. Every other day, we exchanged emails with our Metro collaborators, sharing progress reports and receiving feedback on what was effective and what required additional research.

Our objective was to create a timeline in ArcGIS StoryMaps to show the evolution of the rail network from streetcars to modern electric rail. Since many low-income residents who cannot afford cars are the primary users of public transit, ensuring equitable access is essential. The concrete evidence we used included a combination of historical maps, ArcGIS maps we created (with data from the U.S. Census Bureau and other sources), business data, and socio-economic data.

Accordingly, my most significant contribution to the project was creating maps that highlighted areas of poverty in LA County and communities vulnerable to gentrification. While working past 10 P.M. in the computer lab with most students already gone, I noticed a troubling pattern: Metro lines flowing through high-poverty neighborhoods (South Central LA, Inglewood, and Long Beach) that also overlapped with high-gentrification-risk zones. At the same time, as I portrayed the boundaries of vulnerable communities in ArcGIS Online, I realized that each polygon represented various families whose futures could be shaped by our transit planning decisions. I zoomed in on some neighborhoods near where I live and reminisced about the families in these areas: kids I saw walking to school every day, elderly residents I spoke with who lived there for decades, many of whom still sold food from corner carts and drove ice cream trucks to make ends meet. I leaned back from my screen, with the weight of that responsibility settling over me. These were not merely hypothetical data points on a screen, but a representation of people’s lives, possibly facing displacement from their homes and communities. Rising property values driven by rail line expansion without policy protection could push vulnerable families out, I realized, as I cradled my head in my hands.

To combat gentrification, my team suggested that the LA Metro share our visual data with policymakers, enabling them to implement protective policies while strategically extending rail lines into underserved low-income areas. These strategies would create hope for increased public ridership, leading to fewer car users and lower emissions. As a result, there will be fewer adverse health effects and significant weather issues exacerbated by climate change. This combined approach would not only prevent displacement in existing neighborhoods but also bring economic opportunities to areas that need transit access most and reduce the need for additional freeway construction.

Amidst this project, I learned the importance of planning and facilitating transportation to create sustainable solutions that benefit everyone. Addressing environmental sustainability challenges through public transportation reduces car emissions while creating opportunities to address social sustainability issues. Ensuring equitable transportation access for all communities and protecting against gentrification requires giving residents a voice in the planning process. Every time I see a Metro train traveling through LA County, I now reflect upon those maps I made. This critical awareness will guide every project I take on in the future, always considering who may be affected by my decisions. Each vulnerable and gentrification-prone community serves as a reminder that sustainable design is not just about moving people from point A to point B, but about ensuring that none are excluded in the pursuit of a more promising future.