The HOLC created a map of Durham and color-coded it, rating each neighborhood by its level of risk for lending. Green was the safest, followed by yellow, and red, which was designated as the riskiest. The presence of Black people, immigrants, and poor people were considered the biggest determining factors in determining the risk of an area. As seen on the map, the entirety of Walltown, East End, and East Durham, which are located in the area below Old North Durham, was redlined. In the 1930s, being redlined meant that it was nearly impossible to get a federally insured mortgage. Individuals who lived in redlined areas were cut off from loans and financial resources, leading to deteriorating infrastructure and poor housing conditions. Additionally, redlining led to environmental racism, as limited financial resources in these areas often translated to proximity to industrial zones, waste disposal sites, and other environmental hazards in addition to inadequate healthcare infrastructure. Although Walltown was liberated from its redlined status in 1968, residents today still feel the residual impact of this historically racist policy. In June 2023, a Duke Study examined the soil at three Durham parks: Walltown, East End, and East Durham. The study showed that the soil in these parks contains levels of lead at least six times the EPA hazard threshold for play areas. The study evaluates this finding and adds that “many minority communities [who] have been systemically driven to live and work in and around structures that serve as lead sources, such as older houses, gas stations, factories, and waste incinerators and landfills.” According to the study, marginalized and socioeconomically disadvantaged communities also tend to have higher lead exposures than the rest of the population. Health disparities comparable to the one seen in the redlined parks of Durham can be observed throughout many of the redlined areas in Durham, NC. These disparities resulting from the lingering effects of redlining must be addressed.

The residual effects of redlining demonstrate the negative impact of structural racism on health. From restrictive deeds and covenants to zoning regulations and public health codes, redlining has defined the residential landscape of American cities today. To combat the harmful residual effects of redlining, policymakers must take steps to address discrimination in the lending and real estate industries that perpetuate residential segregation. For example, there should be an increase in inclusionary zoning that adds affordable housing choices outside of the redlined sections of the city and promotes the reduction of concentrated areas of poverty. Policymakers can implement inclusionary zoning policies that require developers to allocate a certain amount of affordable housing units in new developments to accommodate socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals. Health systems can help dismantle the health inequities experienced by racial and ethnic minority groups by moving upstream to improve individual social needs and community-level social determinants of health. Especially in low-income communities, it is important to identify the barriers to healthcare which include food, housing, and financial insecurity as well as transportation, time, domestic violence, and child care. Additionally, physicians' incorporation of screenings for social determinants of health is an impactful solution to providing direct intervention to low-income and minority families struggling to access healthcare. Lastly, environmental justice policies such as regulating and monitoring industrial activity, addressing pollution, and ensuring all communities have equal protection under environmental laws are crucial.

Conclusively, city government officials must take action to address environmental hazards that result from redlining, as seen in the case of Durham Parks. More research and funding should go towards studies evaluating the continued impacts of redlining today. Redlining is not something we left behind in 1963, it is something we have to actively strive to leave behind in 2024.