Planning for complete communities: An analysis of food access in downtown Winnipeg
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Date
2017
Authors
Blumenschein, Larissa
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Abstract
Many North American cities are struggling with a phenomenon called a “food desert”, known as a particular area of a city that fails to provide its residents with access to nutritious food. Due to recent closures of grocery stores, this title of a ‘Food Desert’ is often applied to parts of Downtown Winnipeg. In light of current efforts to further develop Winnipeg’s downtown core, planners and developers are taking a closer look at the issues behind food access for urban residents. Much of the current literature on food access in urban settings focuses primarily on the challenges for low-income households. However, poor food access is also an issue for non-low income residents, who may not be dependent on convenience stores, but must drive long distances in order to purchase groceries, causing unsustainable shopping habits as well as a loss in local consumer dollars. This research focuses on the issues of food access from the perspective of a diverse urban community with a range of incomes. The research aims to address the gaps in food desert literature by providing a better understanding of the challenges behind food access for different types of residents in urban areas, as well as how improved food access can in turn contribute to a complete community.
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Keywords
Food desert, Winnipeg, Access, Downtown, Urban, Community