Planning for Food Access CDC Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity & Obesity Teleconference November 19, 2009 Kimberley Hodgson, MURP, MS, RD Manager, Planning & Community Health Research Center American Planning Association

American Planning Association  Non-profit, professional membership & education organization  Over 44,000 members  Advocates & encourages good planning practices

Planning & Community Health Research Center Mission  Integrate community health issues into every stage and phase of urban and regional planning practice.

Planning & Community Health Research Center Priority Areas:  Physical activity and active living  Access to healthy food  Aging population and people with disabilities  Community design  Schools  Environmental justice and social equity  Environmental health  Future planners and health professionals

Learning Objectives  Explain how urban planning related policies can influence the community food system.  Describe the role of the local comprehensive plan in improving food access at the local government level.  List 3 planning-related regulations that can be used to preserve community gardens and other forms of urban agriculture.

Community Planning & Food Access  Types  Number  Location  Proximity

Changing the Food Environment 1.Partnerships & Consensus Building 2.Visioning & Goal Setting 3.Assessments 4.Plan-Making 5.Regulations 6.Site Design & Development 7.Public investment

COMMUNITY FOOD SYSTEM ASSESSMENT  Inventory, assessment and analysis of selected community food system characteristics

 Conducted by Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission  Evaluation and analysis of the regional food supply  Stakeholders  Agricultural resources  Production trends  Natural resource constraints  Origins and destinations of food imports and exports  Economic significance of the food economy. Source: Greater Philadelphia Food System Study

Source:

PLAN-MAKING  Comprehensive or general plan  Strategic plans  Sub-area plans  Functional plans

The comprehensive plan  Required by state statute (in most states)  year vision  Goals, action items, and policies for the future of a community  Social, economic and environmental topical areas  Legal foundation for local level regulations, policies and ordinances  Public and private decisions that affect the long-range future of a community

 Mandatory Elements  Transportation  Housing  Land Use  Natural Resources  Optional Elements  Economic Development  Parks & Open Space  Water & Air Quality  Health  Agriculture  Food The comprehensive plan (cont.)

Comprehensive plan-making process Image Source:

Plan-making for food access 1.Community food access issues 2.Public engagement and education 3.Community goals & objectives 4.Action steps & policies 5.Long-term health of the community

Source:

Goal Examples

Goal Examples (cont.)

Source:

Source:

Source:

Source:

REGULATIONS  Development regulations  Design guidelines and standards  Financial incentives and policies

Zoning  Divides land into different land use categories which determine how the land can be used:  Specifies what can or cannot be built on the land:

Source: and

Zoning for Food Access | Used-Based Zoning  Use-Based Zoning Regulations  Permit location of healthy food outlets  Conditionally permit or restrict certain food outlets  Prohibit unhealthy food outlets

Zoning for Food Access | Other Zoning Regs  Other Zoning Regulations  Incentive Zoning  Performance Zoning  Interim Zoning  Restrictive Covenants

Zoning for Healthy Food Retail  New York, NY  Chicago, IL

Source: NYC Food Retail Expansion to Support Health

NYC FRESH Criteria  Who is eligible?  What are the requirements to become a FRESH store?  Why become a FRESH store? What are the incentives? Grocery Store Operators Developers | | | 6,000 sq ft retail space 30% perishable foods 8% fresh produce

NYC FRESH Zoning Incentives  Additional floor space  Taller buildings  Less parking

NYC FRESH Financial Incentives  Real Estate Tax Reductions  Sales Tax Exemption  Mortgage Recording Tax Deferral

Source: Limiting Restrictive Covenants | Chicago  Prevent competitors from using land  Limits new store development  Reduces access to fresh, affordable food  Contributes to neighborhood blight

Source:

Zoning for Urban Agriculture  Boston, MA  Minneapolis, MN  Ann Arbor, MI  Chattanooga, TN

Zoning for Unhealthy Food  Ban  Concord, MA; San Francisco, CA; Newport, RI; Carlsbad, Calistoga, and Solvang, CA  Cap  Berkeley, CA  Distance  Arden Hills, MN  Moratorium  Los Angeles, CA

Source: Planning and Urban Design Standards, APA 2006 Design guidelines  Provide guidance to urban designers, architects, landscape architects, planners, civil and environmental engineers, and private developers involved in the planning and implementation of development and redevelopment projects.  Provide guidance on the design and placement of buildings and the open space, streets, sidewalks, and plazas between and around buildings:  Building setbacks  Architectural style  Parking  Streetscapes  Signage  Materials  Sustainability  Open space  Public space

Source: Urban Agriculture Design Guidelines | Vancouver

 Overall Guidance  Siting and access  Co-location with other amenities to facilitate and encourage social interaction  Design  Support facilities

Form-based codes Sources: Image:  Regulates physical form of the built and natural environment  Building and street types, civic space, open space  Provides for a variety and mix of land uses  Housing, retail, commercial  Regulates the intensity of mixed-uses and interconnections  Density, design, lot sizes, transportation network

Agricultural Urbanism Adapted from: Contiguous & Disjointed Urban Farms RURAL AGPERIURBAN AGURBAN AG Forgeable Land Large Farms Specialty Farms Community, Institutional, and Private Produce Gardens Edible Landscaping Roof Gardens / Balcony Boxes / Window Boxes FOOD PROCESSING, RETAIL & DISPOSAL Supermarkets / Grocery Stores / Farmers’ Markets or Stands / Community Supported Agriculture Mobile Vending / Community Kitchens Restaurants / Neighborhood Corner Stores or Markets Food Composting / Food Processing Facilities

Image Source:

Image Source:

Image Source:

Source: Community Food Security Coalition PARTNERSHIPS | Food Policy Council  Coalition of food system stakeholders  Public, private, governmental, non-governmental  Duties  Convene, research, assess, advise  Examples  Portland/Multnomah Food Policy Council  Toronto Food Policy Council  Chicago Food Policy Advisory Council  Vancouver Food Policy Council

Source: Portland/Multnomah County FPC  Composition  Authorized by local government  Citizen-based advisory council  Mission  To bring together a diverse array of stakeholders to integrate the aspects of the food system (production, distribution, access, consumption, processing and recycling) in order to enhance the environmental, economic, social and nutritional health of the City of Portland and Multnomah County.  Some Accomplishments  Land inventory for urban agriculture  County corrections department food purchasing policy

Source: APA PAS Report 554; Toronto FPC  Composition  Subcommittee of the Toronto Board of Health  Mission  To partner with business and community groups to develop policies and programs promoting food security. Our aim is a food system that fosters equitable food access, nutrition, community development and environmental health.  Some Accomplishments  City of Toronto’s Official Plan  Food Charter  Hospital Food Purchasing Policies

Implications for Public Health & Nutrition Professionals  Does your community have a comprehensive plan? Other plans?  When is your community scheduled to update its comprehensive plan?  What is the public participation process?  What mechanisms and strategies will be used to implement the plan?  How are grocery stores, corner stores, fast-food restaurants, farmers markets, community gardens, and urban agriculture referenced in your community’s zoning code? design regulations?  What is the process for amending your community’s zoning code?  How can you partner with your community’s planning dept?  Does your community have a food policy council or coalition?

Resources  American Planning Association – Planning & Community Health Research Center,  A Planners Guide to Community and Regional Planning: Transforming Food Environments, Facilitating Healthy Eating,  Create and Implement Healthy General Plans,  General Plans and Zoning,  Healthy Planning Policies: A Compendium from California General Plans, planning-policieshttp:// planning-policies

Kimberley Hodgson, MURP, MS, RD Manager, Planning & Community Health Research Center American Planning Association