UC Irvine

Racial and economic disparities in exposure to near-roadway air and noise pollution remain stubbornly persistent due to structural inequalities embedded in the built environment. Although governmental agencies have compiled guidance on reducing near-roadway exposures, we unfortunately know little about the implementation of these strategies in practice and whether state-sanctioned, place-based programs to advance environmental justice can effectively mitigate near-roadway hazards for historically marginalized communities. We address this gap through a case study of how residents and community leaders in South Central Fresno, California participated in the steering committees of three place-based initiatives to advance four strategies to mitigate near-roadway impacts: transforming roadways and land use, rerouting trucks from sensitive receptors (i.e., residences, schools), installing protective vegetative barriers, and limiting freeway and warehouse expansion. We examine how residents actively engaged in decision-making processes to prioritize, plan, and implement the four mitigation strategies by engaging land use, transportation, climate, and air pollution across multiple levels of government. Although we found the initiatives analyzed were characterized by significant participation, the impact of resident engagement was often muted due to epistemic injustices embedded in steering committee decision-making.