A Pretty Picture of America's Stark Segregation

In what may be the most informative piece of pointillist 'painting' ever made, a demographic researcher has created a zoomable racial map of America made up of 308,745,538 dots. The result is 'strangely beautiful'.

1 minute read

August 17, 2013, 5:00 AM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


U.S. Race Map

Dustin Cable / The Racial Dot Map

"Demographic researcher Dustin Cable's Racial Dot Map is staggering both visually and statistically," writes Emily Badger. "From afar, the most racially diverse pockets of the United States appear like blended watercolors in shades of purple and teal. Zoom all the way in, though, and each dot represents a single person, all 308,745,538 of us."

"Cable, a researcher with the the University of Virginia's Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, has modeled the project on a previous MIT map plotting population density by individual dots," she explains. "Cable's version color-codes the results by race and ethnicity, producing an eerily beautiful picture of American segregation (and, less frequently, integration) that tricks the eye at different scales.

Wednesday, August 14, 2013 in The Atlantic Cities

courses user

As someone new to the planning field, Planetizen has been the perfect host guiding me into planning and our complex modern challenges. Corey D, Transportation Planner

As someone new to the planning field, Planetizen has been the perfect host guiding me into planning and our complex modern challenges.

Corey D, Transportation Planner

Ready to give your planning career a boost?

View of dense apartment buildings on Seattle waterfront with high-rise buildings in background.

Seattle Legalizes Co-Living

A new state law requires all Washington cities to allow co-living facilities in areas zoned for multifamily housing.

December 1, 2024 - Smart Cities Dive

Times Square in New York City empty during the Covid-19 pandemic.

NYC Officials Announce Broadway Pedestrianization Project

Two blocks of the marquee street will become mostly car-free public spaces.

December 1, 2024 - StreetsBlog NYC

Broken, uneven sidewalk being damaged by large tree roots in Los Angeles, California.

The City of Broken Sidewalks

Can Los Angeles fix 4,000 miles of broken sidewalks before the city hosts the 2028 Olympic Games?

December 5, 2024 - Donald Shoup

cars

Study: Automobile Dependency Reduces Life Satisfaction

Automobile dependency has negative implications for wellbeing. This academic study finds that relying on a car for more than 50 percent of out-of-home travel is associated with significant reductions in life satisfaction.

4 hours ago - Science Direct

Yellow San Diego Unified School District school bus.

San Diego School District Could Accelerate Workforce Housing Program

A proposal to build housing on five district-owned properties could yield 1,000 housing units for low- and moderate-income district employees.

5 hours ago - Governing

Red bus parked at transit station in Denver, Colorado with CO state capitol dome in background.

Denver Transit Board Approves $1.2 Billion Budget

The 2025 budget for the Regional Transportation District is the largest in the agency’s 55-year history.

6 hours ago - The Denver Post

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.