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Food Access - Michael Munsell, Green Space, -Lower strain on the…
Food Access - Michael Munsell
"Food deserts" are areas that don't have adequate access to affordable and nutritious foods. We can find food deserts in urban environments. A just city would ensure supper markets and fresh produce markets are accessible to all its residents.
Work Cited
Some initiatives have been started in cities where access to fresh food was scarce. Reinvestment/Investment into areas with less access to healthy food improves the quality of life and health of all citizens
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Access to fresh, affordable, and nutritious food lowers obesity rates and other weight/nutrition related health issues. Not only does it benefit the individual greatly, but it also lowers the strain on our healthcare system.
City Ordinances: There has been a history of city ordinances and regulations restricting access to food in urban areas, particularly in areas with a large minority & African American population.
Even going back as early as 1914, cities have made it harder for residents in the city to have access to fresh produce. Enacting ordinances that limited the hours which vendors could sell produce, requiring fee's and permit approvals to operate a produce cart, or even out right banning the sale of produce from wagons/carts entirely. In the modern era it's still tough to legally operate a food truck in many cities. A "just city" would certainly encourage food accessibility rather than stifle it. Work Cited:
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Public space in a "just city" certainly should not criminalize food vendors. Allowing mobile markets to thrive in a city creates a close-knit sense of community, along with economic benefits.
This further highlights the importance of supermarkets in urban environments. A "just city" can not regulate mobile vendors so strictly without having an option for citizens to access healthy food.
Urban Farming
There are vacant lots in every urban city. A "just city" would use these abandoned lots to benefit the community with fresh, locally grown, healthy produce. And that's exactly what some groups of people are doing in an effort to combat food desserts in their city. Attached is a photo of an urban farm from an article linked in our course material. But we've also seen just how beneficial movements like Sister Jean's pantry in Atlantic City have been at supplying residents with fresh, nutritious produce.
Work Cited
There have also been other unique approaches to address food access inequality. One of which was using the roof of a sports stadium (an already existing mega-structure) to grow produce. Some of that produce was sold right at the stadium, and it also created jobs at the stadium. Adding extra "green space" when planning the development of buildings in "a just city" is another great way to increase food access.
Work Cited
Health/Climate Effects
"Heat islands" or areas with less green space not only have a lower capacity to produce vegetables & fruits, they also have a lower ability to dissipate heat. They're hotter, on average about 5F hotter. With some areas in the city being a staggering 20F warmer than others. The trapping of heat in urban environments is harmful to the citizens and the planet.
Work Cited
A "just city" planning developments with green space in mind will do more than just improve food access equality, it will also improve the health of its citizens.
Green Space
-Lower strain on the healthcare system
Healthier citizens
Global warming
A history of restricting food access
