Air pollution spikes and asthma rates cluster in Philadelphia neighborhoods near industry and highways

Urban-planning scholars examined 766 census tracts in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, linking EPA pollution metrics with CDC asthma estimates and historic redlining maps. They found that communities adjacent to the I-95 corridor, the Delaware River port-industrial zone and other industrial sites experience elevated diesel particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide, correlating with the highest adult asthma rates in tracts such as Franklinville and Stanton.

Statistical controls showed that higher asthma prevalence persisted in areas with more Black residents and lower high-school completion, suggesting that zoning, infrastructure placement and limited green space compound health disparities. The region earned straight Fs in the American Lung Association’s 2026 State of the Air report, ranking 17th worst among U.S. metros for year-round particle pollution. The authors argue that asthma should be viewed as an urban-planning issue, urging future research on mixed-use neighborhoods like Kensington and Grays Ferry to guide targeted policy interventions.