Residential location decisions are generally long-term and depend on a
number of factors - access, quality of life, etc. To some degree these
are reflected in the original purchase price, but conditions can change
over time, especially in urban areas. Recent proposals and completed
projects around port facilities are a case in point: port expansions,
railyard constructions, and development of on-dock rail can dramatically
change the urban experience for near-port residents.
What
does the cost-benefit analysis of relocation of folks within close
proximity to massively expanding urban ports look like once health
effects are considered? The ports of LA/Long Beach are cancer hotspots
that are expanding. What if expansion were able to continue unhindered
by nearby residences. How much would it cost to buy up property near the
ports and relocate the individuals? These people would ultimately be
healthier (in terms of exposure to noise and air pollution), reducing
public costs due to health care, and the port would be substantially
unencumbered because they would no longer have nearby residents to worry
about.
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