5 EnviroAtlas
Community Summary
Fact Sheet
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people 4 health 4 nature 4 economy
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www. epa. gov/en viroatl as
EnviroAtlas includes an online interactive mapping
application that anyone can use. The interactive map
contains over 200 maps available for the U.S., as well as
100+ fine-scale maps for selected U.S. communities about
existing and potential benefits from the local natural
environment. The EnviroAtlas community component is
based on 1-meter resolution land cover data. Information
derived from these data is summarized by census block
groups; more spatially explicit map layers are also provided.
This fact sheet highlights some of the many community data
layers available for the featured area of New York, New
York.
Background
The New York, New York area was chosen as an
EnviroAtlas community because it offers multiple
opportunities to leverage existing research and community
engagement activities. It has also received high
sustainability and heat vulnerability ratings that can be
evaluated from a green infrastructure perspective. The
EnviroAtlas boundary for the New York area was
determined using the 2011 municipal area from NAVTEQ.
The area measures 901 square kilometers, and encompasses
Percent Land Cover in Community Area
Water
Impervious
Soil/Barren
Trees/Forest
Grass/Herbaceous
6,382 census block groups.
The New York area is in the Northern Piedmont,
Northeastern Coastal Zone, and Atlantic Coastal Pine
Barrens ecoregions. However, the area is completely
urbanized and little resembles the natural state of any of
these ecoregions. The community has a very diverse
economy and is a hub for international business and
commerce. The largest employers include the City of New
York, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, New York
City Health and Hospitals, Corp., and JP Morgan Chase &
Co. The demographics of the New York community area
indicate that the potential exists for income and other
disparities in the distribution of environmental assets.
New York Area Demographics
2010 Census
Total population
8,175,131
Under 13 years old
15.51%
Over 70 years of age
8.51%
Other than white/non-
Hispanic
66.69%
Below twice the U.S.
poverty level
37.30%
CONTINUED ON BACK ~
New YoiK
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Community
New York, NY and surrounding area
Towns and cities rely on clean air, clean water, green space,
and other natural amenities for economic sustainability and
quality of life, yet their benefits are not always fully
understood or considered in local decisions. EPA and its
partners are producing EnviroAtlas to help communities
better use environmental assets for public good.

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EnviroAtlas includes demographic maps that can help
screen for potential health and well-being disparities
resulting from disproportionate distribution of ''green
infrastructure.
Ecosystem Services Overview
In EnviroAtlas, the benefits humans receive from nature are
grouped into seven categories that demonstrate the
interconnectedness of these ecosystem services:
•	Clean air
•	Clean and plentiful water
•	Natural hazard mitigation
•	Climate stabilization
•	Recreation, culture, and aesthetics
•	Biodiversity conservation
•	Food, fuel, and materials (data available only for
communities with farm land)
Examples of some of the data included in EnviroAtlas are
detailed below:
Access to Parks
Parks provide access to green space, encourage physical
activity, and improve the livability and aesthetics of urban
areas. Those who live closer to parks may be more likely to
receive the multiple benefits associated with this proximity.
•	An estimated 60 percent of the New Y ork area is located
within easy walking distance (500 meters) of a park
entrance (dark and medium green areas in figure at
right).
•	An estimated 16 percent of the New York population
does not have a park entrance within 500 meters (yellow
to red areas in figure at right).
Near-Road Environments
Studies indicate that the capacity of trees to filter air may
reduce the health impacts of vehicular pollution. In
EnviroAtlas, you can find analyses of tree coverage near
busy roads.
•	An estimated 82 percent of the New York area
population lives within 300 meters of a busy roadway.
•	73 percent of the estimated New York population lives
within 300 meters of a roadway that has little to no tree
coverage.
EnviroAtlas Tools and Features
•	Learn more about and download EnviroAtlas data: https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-data
•	Search our data layers and access their fact sheets: https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-dvnamic-data-matrix
•	Explore data for the New York community area in our interactive mapping application:
https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-interactive-map
•	Use our Eco-Health Relationship Browser to explore ecosystems, the services they provide, and their benefits to human
health and well-being: https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-eco-health-relationship-browser
•	Contact us with questions about EnviroAtlas: https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/forms/contact-enviroatlas
Estimated walking distance to a
park entrance (m)
Ĥ	250
| 251-500
| 501 -750
751-1.000
1.001 -2.000
2,001 - 3,000
Ĥ	3.001 -4.000
Ĥ	4.001 -5.000
Insufficient Data
EnviroAtlas combines maps, graphs, and other anaiysis tools, fact sheets, and downloadable data into an easy-to-use, web-based
educational and decision-support tooi, EnviroAtlas helps users understand the connections between the benefits we derive from
ecosystem services and the natural resources that provide them. For more information, please visit www.epa.gov/enviroatlas.
February 20 J 7

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