New Kids on the Block – Analyzing Local Neighborhood Food Environments

Food Environment of the Weinland Park Community

New Kids on the Block

 The area of the food environment study is the space shown above. Throughout the area, there a couple busy one-way streets, some small roads, and worn-out alley ways. There are adequate bus stops along the main roads, however those living further away from the roads would have to walk a bit to a stop. This could be dangerous at night, as lighting is scattered and only on one side of the busier streets. Alley ways and small roads have no lights at all.

There is only one clear source of food in this range and it is 4^th Street Farms. Here families can access healthy foods as they need. This food source alone, is not enough for the people living in this area. There is a Kroger grocery store located a few blocks West, but it is a 10 minute walk, and an even longer bus commute, at 11 minutes. A 10 minute walk may not seem too long, but when you are carrying groceries, it makes it difficult to get all the items you need, especially heavy ones such as milk. These several blocks would qualify as a food desert. Residents have access to a few healthy options, but realistically there is not a food source that can supply an acceptable selection, as well as, efficient means to travel there.

From a planning perspective, in order to improve the foodways of the neighborhood, a small corner store at the South-West corner of North 4^th and East 8^th avenue would be beneficial because it can supply food basics such as bread, milk, eggs, cheese, etc. This would help because then residents won’t have to go to Kroger just for a couple items, instead they can just quickly drop by and get what they need.   

Other options to improve the access to food for residents is the enhancement of existing bus systems, to have more efficient routes to and from the Kroger nearby. This way people pick up all the groceries they’ll need, without worrying about carrying it back home.

The development of a new food source, and transportation to an existing source would improve the lives of residents of the neighborhood and help diminish the food desert.