Aerial view of an industrial area with factories, warehouses, residential houses, and roads at sunset.

The Most Industrialized City

American industry disproportionately affects the health of low-income communities. East Chicago, Indiana — known as the country's "most industrialized municipality" during the 19th century — offers a glimpse into environmental inequities plaguing the rust belt.

Nearly 80 percent of the city is zoned for heavy industries that pollute the air, water, and soil. These industries, which once bolstered citizens’ economic futures, now threaten their existence.

Received Cliff Edom’s New America Award from the National Press Photographers’ Association

Published in the New York Times Lens blog

Children purchasing ice cream from a street vendor's truck at dusk, with houses and a lit-up industrial building in the background.
Street scene at dusk with an industrial area, a blue car parked in front of Happy Jacks store, and signs for liquor, cold beer, and lotto. Industrial smokestacks and a flaring tower are visible in the background, with automobiles in motion nearby.
A man holding a flexible pipe in a dimly lit kitchen with dark wooden cabinets and lace curtains.
Oil spill in water with boom containment and reflections of trees.
Dead bird partially buried in wet sand on a beach.
Man comforting a child in front of brick apartment buildings, with a grill and another person in the background.
A gray car with toy pony figurines on the wheel, and a person's arm resting on the car.
Group of friends enjoying a swing set in a park at sunset.
Backyard with wooden fence, pink blossoming tree, picnic table with old TV, and green grass.
Industrial factory with smokestacks emitting smoke at dusk.
A group of people, including a woman holding a baby, gathered around a dining table with plates of food and drinks. The room is decorated with family photos and shelves. A stuffed toy dog is in the background. The atmosphere is cheerful and lively.
Aerial view of an industrial oil refinery with numerous pipes and structures under a purple sky.
Young woman in a tiara and a ball gown posing for a formal photograph against a scenic backdrop.
Fireworks in the night sky over old, weathered buildings with boarded windows and overgrown vegetation, indicating an urban area or neighborhood.
Two people in winter clothing stand on a roadside holding strike signs, with an American flag nearby, at dawn or dusk.
Two children, one looking through a mesh screen, the other out of focus in the foreground.
A person gardening in a backyard with a red wooden fence and a weathered building in the background. They are tending to plants near a small white statue and benches. A yellow watering can is on the ground.
Workers wearing neon safety vests taking soil samples in a residential yard
Yellow flowers growing through a chain-link fence.
Three people holding hands in a prayer circle outdoors, with trees and houses in the background.
Person at reception counter and child seated in waiting area
Two people moving a piece of furniture out of a house, with a child standing nearby in front of a brick wall and a metal chair.
Interior of a dark room with three helium balloons tied together, resting on the floor near a window. Outside, a suburban street and houses are faintly visible through the window.
Elderly woman looking out a car window with a thoughtful expression.
Quiet residential street at dusk with bare trees, streetlights, and row houses. One house has a lit window.