I chose Weinland Park because since I live off-campus, I’ve had my fair share of grocery shopping in the area. Because most establishments are centered around High Street, the sidewalks are even and safe for the most part. Due to construction, some of the sidewalks are harder to navigate. High Street is well lit, as it connects much of Columbus. In terms of transportation, people can take the COTA if they need access to public transportation. If you have a personal vehicle, traffic in the area is usually not an issue, but travel time is a little longer during rush hour.
Families living in Weinland Park have limited options when it comes to accessing healthy food. If I were to focus my study within a 2 to 7 block square within Weinland Park, based around where I live (on 8th), the only grocery store in the area is Kroger. Other than Kroger, there are a few convenience stores around the area, but none of them provide healthy foods. In comparison to different areas in Columbus and the United States at large, Weinland Park is ‘food insecure’ and lacks large grocery stores. For example, suburbs are known to be food secure, and healthy food is easy to find. In Mason, the suburb my family lives in about an hour and a half away, I can go to Walmart, Meijer, Wholefoods, The Fresh Market, Kroger, and more in less than seven minutes by car.
I would describe Weinland Park as a ‘food swamp’. A food swamp is an area characterized by carrying a lot of cheap food with low nutritional value. In part, it makes sense that there are many fast-food chains and unhealthy takeout spots in the campus area, as it appeals to college students who need quick meals on the go or want food after a night out. In Weinland Park, there is an abundance of fast food, junk food outlets, convenience stores, tobacco stores and liquor stores, and a scarcity of healthy food options which is indicative of a ‘food swamp’.
To improve the food-ways of Weinland Park, residents and planners should work together to bring healthy food options to the neighborhood. If healthy food outlets are opened along High Street with prices that can compete with the unhealthy food outlets already in the area, people would be more likely to choose healthy meals. These improvements would lead to a healthier community overall, and over time, health issues that plague a community due to unhealthy eating could be addressed.