Food for Life: Addressing the Issues of Food Security in Oakland, CA Adriana Valencia and Dustin White City Planning 255 – Urban Applications of Geographic Information Systems, Professor John Radke – Spring 2003 Department of City and Regional Planning University of California, Berkeley 228 Wurster Hall #1850 Berkeley, CA INTRODUCTIONRESULTS DATA AND ANALYSIS SELECTED PROBLEM AREAS FURTHER RESEARCH AND RECOMMENDATIONS Access to nutritionally adequate food at affordable prices (food security) has become a major concern for the city of Oakland, CA. The Food Security Council of Alameda Council is working to address the food security issues that now face many residents of diverse neighborhoods in Oakland. Food insecurity is linked to many health problems, including cancer, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes and has a especially high impact in children, pregnant women, and the elderly. This project is an initial assessment to: Decipher the magnitude of the food access problems in Oakland Discover possible actions to ameliorate the food security issue Give recommendations on what steps the Food Security Council of Alameda County could take to assess the magnitude and to solve the food security problem in Oakland, CA. An in-depth study of store inventories to find out which neighborhoods might be underserved by existing stores Surveys to analyze the needs and wants of the various communities, including analysis according to: - ethnicities - senior citizens - unemployed/employed populations - transportation limited communities Incorporate key players in the solution to food insecurity and build on community resources - community organizers, city planners, activists, government, members of the community Provide subsidies and grants to store owners to improve their food selection and store appearance Provide nutrition education to underprivileged communities Local Farmers Markets Encourage large stores to provide shuttle services - to increase their profit margins - to give a service to the community - to increase access to food and possibly jobs Store locations in Oakland accepting food stamps from USDA Census data on income, population, and employment demographics from the 2000 Census ( Tax parcel data and aerial photographs from the City of Oakland Stores in Oakland from Yellow Pages ( Store sizes from the Alameda County Public Health Department Transit Routes from Metropolitan Transportation Commission ( Large Stores in the Oakland Hills near the Piedmont area likely service higher income residents. Although these stores appear to be near some lower income communities, this freeway imposes a physical barrier to these underprivileged residents. Regions highlighted in red have high concentrations of Black populations who are living under the poverty line and are distanced from frequent transit service as well as mid to large size stores. White population distribution in relation to income. Higher income residents are concentrated in the Oakland Hills and are assumed to have higher levels of vehicle ownership. Hispanic markets in the Fruitvale neighborhood compared with other markets in the area show a correlation between store type and population distribution. Approximately twenty percent of the markets in this area are Hispanic ethnic markets, as shown above. Food store size distribution Higher concentration of larger grocery stores appears to correlate with higher income areas, such as Piedmont. A close view of the Seminary neighborhood reveals an area with high residential density, yet without food stores. This area, adjacent to Fruitvale, also proved to be underserved by frequent transit routes and is largely populated by low-income residents. AC transit lines that operate with frequent headways (<30 min) throughout the day