This project investigates the impact of changing urban economies on landscapes created and utilized by underrepresented populations. Many urban landscapes are receiving new investments via dense, modern, transit-oriented development and an influx of upscale coffee, grocery, and other food retail establishments. The result is rising rent for homes and small businesses which impacts local communities in terms of changes to settlement and entrepreneurship patterns. This research investigates these patterns in order to produce new knowledge about the variety of gentrification outcomes for diverse population groups while also providing a more complete understanding of changing foodscapes across urban areas. This project will broaden participation in STEM while training both undergraduate and graduate students in geographic research. Results will be widely disseminated to social service providers, community organizations, and local government agencies, with implications for human health and wellbeing.
Existing research has not sufficiently examined the impacts of revitalization processes on urban and suburban foodscapes. Through the illustrative lens of food systems analysis, this project systematically investigates the ways that restaurants, groceries, food trucks, etc. are changing as a result of development pressures, identify where and how new food landscapes are constructed, and determine the implications of this relocation on cultural, social, and economic outcomes. This longitudinal and comparative project analyzes demographic and property data, as well as data generated via gentrification field surveys and in-depth interviews with key stakeholders. The project fosters interactive community forums. It will also integrate pedagogical activities engaging students in landscape surveys and contributing in-depth interviews to a digital database. Research results will make visible the impacts of development decisions on diverse communities, while contributing to advancing theory in urban geography and food studies.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
