Increasing Equitable Food Access Within Food Deserts in Urban Areas: A Case Study of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area

There has been growing interest in the factors that contribute to poor health outcomes, particularly in areas where health disparities are pronounced. The locations of food deserts, or unhealthy food environments, correspond to areas with the highest proportions of minority residents, populations suffering from higher rates of many chronic conditions, including obesity and diabetes. As well, food deserts tend to be located in areas with higher rates of poverty throughout the United States. This study seeks to enhance our understanding of the role of the neighborhood environment on residents’ food access by studying the effects of a local Urban Farming Network on the local food buying system. Growing food in urban areas could solve a multitude of problems. This study was developed to evaluate whether the inclusion of an Urban Farming Network to a food desert will increase residents’ access to healthy food. This case study included an analysis of survey and focus group as well as a spatial analysis focusing on the local urban farms in the Kansas City Metropolitan area. Spatial statistics were run on the locations of the local urban farms in an effort to determine significant clustering. This study approaches the issue of food deserts with a focus on the socioeconomic dynamic of the urban area as well as a spatial analysis to show the potential of a microtransportation food delivery system from local growers to consumers. With the analysis of the local farms in the Kansas City Metropolitan area, there were shown to be gaps in where food can be purchased and where the addition of an urban farm could help to resolve the issue.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S. (Master of Science)

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Environmental and Urban Geosciences (UMKC)

Grantor

University of Missouri--Kansas City

Year dc:date.issued

2022

Author dc:creator

• Lauderback, Courtney

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Lee, Jejung

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10355/93872

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:mospace.umsystem.edu:10355/93872