Redlining

(noun)

The practice of denying, or increasing the cost of services such as banking, insurance, access to jobs, access to health care, or even supermarkets to residents in particular areas. It describes the practice of marking a red line on a map to delineate the area where banks would not invest. Later the term was applied to discrimination against a particular group of people (usually by race or sex) no matter the geography.

Related Terms

Examples of Redlining in the following topics:

  • The Growth of Suburbs

    • The post-World War II growth of the American suburbs was facilitated by the development of zoning laws, redlining, and numerous innovations in transport and contributed to major segregation trends and decline of inner city neighborhoods.
    • The growth of suburbs was facilitated by the development of zoning laws, redlining, and numerous innovations in transport.

  • The Great Migration and the "Promised Land"

    • Mortgage discrimination and redlining in inner-city areas limited the newer African American migrants' ability to determine their own housing or obtain a fair price.