FOOD DESERTSSITE PLANNING

RYAN DORSEY

• No grocery stores

• No farmers’ markets

• Surrounded by fast food, junk food, or food high in sugars and fats

WHAT IS A FOOD DESERT?

HOW COMMON ARE FOOD DESERTS?

• Site planner should consider distance of grocery store to current site project

• Failure to do so could end up in failure of site’s success

• Could unintentionally hurt many people and tarnish reputation as a planner

HOW DO FOOD DESERTS RELATE TO SITE PLANNING?

• Can make people leave the area, possibly resulting in slums and/or abandoned towns or cities

• Can cause starvation, sickness, obesity

• Doesn’t allow the people of community to live a healthy life

HOW DO FOOD DESERTS AFFECT COMMUNITIES?

OBESITY IN U.S. ADULTS (2009)

• Build more grocery stores

• Establish more farmers’ markets

• Have food stores bring and sell whole foods to large gathering areas (i.e. schools, sports games, work places, etc.)

• Build less fast food chains

HOW CAN WE ELIMINATE THEM?

• Gallagher, M. (2010). Usda defines food deserts. Retrieved from http://americannutritionassociation.org/newsletter/usda-defines-food-deserts

• Rosenberg, T. (2011, May 23). Oases of nutrition. Retrieved from http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/23/in-food-deserts-oases-of-nutrition/?_r=0

• Trimarchi, M. (2008, December 09). What's a food desert? Retrieved from http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/food-desert.htm

SOURCES