UC GIS Week

Mapping the Tren Maya’s Mark on Mérida

Mapping the Tren Maya’s Mark on Mérida investigates whether the Tren Maya railway is ushering in new sustainable development which provides economic and social benefits for the residents of Mérida, Mexico. The Mexican government has spearheaded the megaproject’s construction in a mere four years with the goal of boosting economic growth in an environmentally and socially conscious manner. The following investigation highlights where this vision, articulated in technocratically-constructed public documents and amplified in reporting, has been fulfilled in Mérida. Through geospatial, physical, and journalistic investigations and analysis, it is revealed the Tren Maya has brought a host of impacts upon the Yucatecan capital through channeling public investments into the Centro Histórico and periphery lands surrounding the metropolitan area. Although these investments present numerous economic, social, and environmental benefits in line with the stated Tren Maya goals, there are also a series of emerging negative consequences. These findings are also conveyed beyond this document using narrative storytelling via a publicly accessible ArcGIS Story Map with maps, imagery, and figures compiled into an accessible information hub.

Beyond Borders: Understanding Cross-Cultural Variations in Skin Tone Preferences

Prior research has documented that cultural context influences implicit skin tone biases. However, the sources of these variations remain unclear. This study tested hypotheses about cultural influences on skin tone biases. We hypothesized that cross-country variations in lighter skin tone preference would parallel those among U.S. communities from the same countries (H1). To explain these patterns, we examined whether socioeconomic disparities (H2), religious orthodoxy (H3), and cosmopolitanism (H4) predicted stronger implicit preferences for lighter skin tones. Data was utilized from Project Implicit (2008–2022) using anonymized responses from the Skin Tone IAT and self-reports. For Hypothesis 1, 80 countries (min. 100 respondents each) were included. For Hypotheses 2–4, analyses covered 43–71 countries for correlations and 28–69 for multilevel models. Implicit bias was measured through reaction times associating skin tones with positive or negative words and explicit bias through self-reported preferences. Socioeconomic disparities were measured by the GINI, Social Mobility, and Education Inequality Indices. Religious orthodoxy and cosmopolitanism were drawn from World Values Survey indicators on beliefs and immigration respectively. Bivariate correlations were used to examine predictor-bias associations, followed by multilevel modeling to account for nested data. Consistent with Hypothesis 1, higher implicit bias in a country corresponded with greater bias among U.S. communities from the same country, suggesting these biases may stem from cultural origins and extend beyond immediate surroundings. Bivariate correlations and multilevel models tested the effects of the three cultural factors on skin tone bias. Contrary to Hypothesis 2, greater socioeconomic disparities were linked to lower implicit bias, though this was not significant in multilevel models. For Hypothesis 3, religious orthodoxy showed no significant association with implicit bias. For Hypothesis 4, cosmopolitanism was significantly associated with lower implicit bias in correlations, though this was nonsignificant in multilevel models. Findings partially supported the hypotheses: some predictors showed meaningful bivariate associations to skin tone bias; however, the effects weakened after controlling individual-level factors. While cultural influences on implicit bias remain complex, this study highlights the value of cross-national perspectives on colorism and the need for further research into the social forces sustaining skin tone preferences.

Beyond Borders: Impacts of the Plastic Waste Trade in Indonesia

Global plastic waste generation has surged over the past two decades, while recycling rates have remained below 10 percent. As high-income countries increasingly export their plastic waste abroad, Southeast Asia has become a major destination, where much of this waste is openly burned or informally recycled. In 2018, China’s National Sword Policy abruptly banned plastic-waste imports, causing a large and sudden redirection of global waste flows toward countries such as Indonesia. This study investigates the effects of the policy shock on local environments and communities in Indonesia. The primary research question is to what extent did the inflow of imported plastic waste altered local air pollution levels? A difference-in-differences design is employed to compare changes in outcomes before and after the 2018 policy in regions near waste sites and ports, where imported waste is concentrated, against regions located farther away. The analysis incorporates satellite-derived PM2.5 pollution data, machine learning–identified waste-site locations from Global Plastic Watch, international trade data from the United Nations Commodity Trade Statistics Database (UN Comtrade), and nationally representative household surveys, including the Indonesian National Socioeconomic Survey (SUSENAS) and the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS). Preliminary findings show a marked rise in PM2.5 concentrations following the policy, with the largest increases near ports and waste-processing sites. These changes are consistent with the elevated open burning of imported waste. Collectively, these findings contribute new evidence regarding the influence of international waste redistribution on local pollution and livelihoods. This research advances understanding of the environmental and human consequences associated with the global plastic waste trade.