Repercussions of Racist Maps Still Impact Neighborhoods Today

In November I wrote an article about the Coaquannock map of the Philadelphia region that was published by the Works Progress Administration in 1934. The map’s date immediately resonated, as I recalled that J.M. Brewer’s map of Philadelphia was published the same year. Following my deep dive into the Coaquannock map, I decided to spend some time revisiting the Brewer map—a document that I knew was considered instrumental in establishing residential segregation in Philadelphia.