THE BOSTON INDUSTRIAL ARCHEOLOGY MAPPING PROJECT KRIS KOlODJIEJ Massachusetts Institute of Technology Department of Urban Studies + Planning CHIKAKO SASSA Massachusetts Institute of Technology Department of Urban Studies + Planning SUSHllA MAHARJAN Massachusetts Institute of Technology Department of Urban Studies + Planning
ABSTRACT In an ongoing pilot project initiated in September of 2001, the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC), in collaboration with the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), has developed a methodology to superimpose historical and present-day industrial land use datalayers with demographic information and public health data to map areas of substantial environmental risk within the city of Boston, Massachusetts. Historic datalayers showing location and type of industries known to emit hazardous substances were interpreted from Sanborn Fire Insurance maps in the years 1888 and 1962. These historic industries, along with current-day industries listed under the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Tier 21 and Major Facility databases, were classified according to the Standard Industrial Classification Manual (SIC) published by the U.S. Department of Labor, and linked to tables of hazardous chemicals associated with each type of industry. Using a Geographic Information System (GIS) (ArcView), the historic datalayers were then overlaid with present-day census and public health data, and a customized "spatial filtering" function was developed to highlight "hot spot" areas of significant industrial activity and combined risk potential accumulated over time. The result is an "archeology" of risk. The intent is to produce a planning tool for strategic environmental health intervention to serve professionals in government and the private sector, such as public health professionals, legislators, city planners, and environmental designers.