This 1986 “computer graphics map” from Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s Department of City Development documents results from the tenth year of the city’s Neighborhood Improvement Program (NIP). The NIP set aside public funds that could be allocated to different areas based on its “RRS Group” score. Short for “relative residential status,” RRS scores corresponded to levels of supposed neighborhood “health” in the city. They are visible in the legend of this map, and described in greater detail below:
| A = “Very healthy” | D = “Faltering” |
| B = “Healthy” | E = “Barely functioning” |
| C = “Average” | F = “Primarily apartments” |
The scores were calculated for each Milwaukee census tract based on combination of factors including assessed housing value, percentage of owner-occupied units, and vacancy rate. Overwhelmingly, these variables proxied race in such a way that white residents tended to live in A and B areas, while Black residents tended to live in D and E areas. Via the NIP, city planners directed reinvestment funds—including subsidies for home improvement loans and programs to increase homeownership—to C-graded areas, while D- and E-graded areas primarily received “maintenance” support, which included the construction of concrete pylons on vacant lots to prevent illegal dumping.