Mapping New York's Toxic Legacy

In bright blues, greens, and reds, an interactive map developed by property information website Property Shark documents New York City's cornucopia of polluted properties. Check the map to see if you might be living next door to a leaking oil tank.

1 minute read

November 23, 2013, 11:00 AM PST

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


"Take one look at this interactive map of New York City’s toxic sites, and the city appears to be one giant minefield loaded with brownfields, superfund sites, and gas tank leaks galore," writes Sydney Brownstone. "But the toxic spills littering the scene make up more than just a map: They tell a cautionary tale about the history of development in the city."

“It’s sort of daunting when you look at the map really zoomed out. You see all these colors and icons and you’re like, ‘Oh my god, do I really want to live in New York City?’” said Nancy Jorisch, a senior data analyst at Property Shark. “But of course you do. Because when you really, really zoom in, you realize that those icons tend to be clustered in certain areas. And where there’s the occasional icon, there’s a bunch of them that are coming from zoning changes, and the need to repurpose property in New York,” she added.

Friday, November 22, 2013 in Fast Company Co.Exist

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 11, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of Shirley Chisholm Village four-story housing development with person biking in front.

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning

SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

June 8, 2025 - Fast Company

Yellow single-seat Japanese electric vehicle drivign down road.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs

The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

June 6, 2025 - PC Magazine

Rendering of autonomous cargo train moving across bridge across river in wooded area between Texas and Mexico.

Trump Approves Futuristic Automated Texas-Mexico Cargo Corridor

The project could remove tens of thousands of commercial trucks from roadways.

June 17 - FreightWaves

Rendering of white three-story single-stair building in Austin, Texas with staircase in the middle.

Austin's First Single Stair Apartment Building is Officially Underway

Eliminating the requirement for two staircases in multi-story residential buildings lets developers use smaller lots and more flexible designs to create denser housing.

June 17 - Building Design & Construction

MARTA bus with Atlanta skyline in background

Atlanta Bus System Redesign Will Nearly Triple Access

MARTA's Next Gen Bus Network will retool over 100 bus routes, expand frequent service.

June 17 - Mass Transit