Abstract
While Portland, Oregon, gains renown for supporting locally grown, sustainably produced, healthy, or otherwise good food, it has failed to ensure equitable access to said food. As parts of the city gentrify, dislocated Portlanders find themselves without access to fresh produce, contributing to health disparities among low-income and minority residents. This research sought to understand issues of food access among populations displaced by gentrification and determine the best locations for produce stands as a method to increase access to fresh produce. It examines the concept of the food mirage by studying the coverage of grocery stores in Portland and proposes an alternative intervention, produce stands, as a pedestrian-scale approach to address gaps in grocery store accessibility for those without transportation. Calculations using geographic information systems (GIS) determine the ideal locations for produce stands in walkable areas not served by transit or fruit and vegetable markets and that house a high number of residents displaced by gentrification. The methodology returns appropriate sites in East Portland, a historically underserved area of the city facing disparities in obesity-related chronic disease. This paper contributes to the research and practice of food systems planning by incorporating indicators of gentrification-driven displacement as well as the built environment into a process of spatial analysis to expand consumption of affordable produce while providing entrepreneurship opportunities for disadvantaged residents. Food justice activists can use this methodology to determine areas of need and account for assets of the built environment in order to site a food access intervention that remains largely underutilized in North American cities.
Highlights
Gentrification, Food Mirages, and Landing Zones in PortlandPortland, Oregon, long known as a pioneering city in its efforts to support locally grown, sustainably produced food, is currently facing an influx of young urban professionals from across the country, due perhaps in part to its success in incorporating fresh food grown just outside its urban growth boundary
Census tracts in the central parts of the city showed an increase in median household income from 2000 to 2010, while the steepest declines in median income occurred on the east and west ends of the city and, to a lesser degree, in North Portland
After using spatial analysis to support the hypothesis that Portland does not represent a food desert, characterized by a lack of geographical access to grocery stores, but rather a food mirage, characterized by geographic accessibility coupled with economic and cultural barriers to fresh food, I posit that the city could support on-street produce stands as a method to partner with local farms with a mission to expand access for vulnerable Portlanders, especially those displaced by processes of gentrification
Summary
Gentrification, Food Mirages, and Landing Zones in PortlandPortland, Oregon, long known as a pioneering city in its efforts to support locally grown, sustainably produced food, is currently facing an influx of young urban professionals from across the country, due perhaps in part to its success in incorporating fresh food grown just outside its urban growth boundary. Bates (2013) classified the stages of gentrification and displacement in Portland neighborhoods and identified certain areas as “landing zones,” or neighborhoods to which displaced people move. As outsiders flock to Portland for its high quality of life and reputation for sustainability, due in part to its booming food scene, many underprivileged Portlanders find themselves pushed out of their homes due to rising housing prices. These neighborhoods have seen an increase in the number of poor residents, ethnic minorities, and people with lower education levels. In a review of the literature, Bell, Mora, Hagan, Rubin, & Karpyn (2013) pinpoint lack of access to fresh produce as a key factor contributing to disparities in diet-related chronic disease among low-income populations
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