Rejoining the Planning and Public Health Fields: Leveraging Comprehensive Plans to Strengthen Food Systems in an Urban versus Rural Jurisdiction

Abstract

The growth of health disparities in the United States, particularly those associated with dietrelated diseases, has motivated a reconvergence of the public health and planning disciplines to address this shared challenge. However, the dynamics and mechanisms through which public health and planning agencies can systematically address food-related issues have yet to be fully understood. This study analyzes how partnership between public health professionals and planners in local, regional, and metropolitan (LRM) governments can strengthen community food systems through a more integrated and holistic approach to health. Using a national survey of

Acquisition, mobility and food insecurity: integrated food systems opportunities across urbanicity levels highlighted by COVID-19

“…Proposed solutions will be most successful when they engage multiple sectors. Tackling socioeconomic, spatial, and infrastructure inequalities tied to food security will require public health public health advocates to band together with other disciplines, professions, and sectors, including producers, distributors, retailers, economic development, transportation, and government (23) . Future research should not only examine how these sectors can build synergy in advancing food security but also develop inclusive planning and decision-making processes to promote agency among those who are food insecure in urban, suburban, and rural spaces.…”

Seeking Food Justice and a Just City through Local Action in Food Systems: Opportunities, Challenges, and Transformation

“…Planning will continue to embrace food systems efforts, just as it has evolved to engage emerging issues such as public health, social equity, sustainability, and climate change or resilience. As noted in Rejoining the Planning and Public Health Fields: Leveraging Comprehensive Plans to Strengthen Food Systems in an Urban versus Rural Jurisdiction (Mui, Khojasteh, Hodgson, & Raja, 2018), the built environment is a "unifying issue" for the disciplines of planning and public health. Food system reformers should view planning offices as potential allies to support their efforts and infuse reforms into policy.…”

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“…Haysom et al (2020) argue that although "there are a number of options open to local governments [for institutionalizing food systems planning], one of the most strategic and transversal approaches is through planning and urban design" (p. iv). Despite the role of food in city planning for the local economy, the environment, public health, and quality of neighborhoods (Pothukuchi & Kaufman, 1999), urban planners are rarely the first to launch food systems policies and plans (Hoey, in press;Mui et al, 2018). A more common scenario is that urban planners are brought into the food planning fold as targets of policy entrepreneurs coming mainly from public health departments and coalitions of scholar-activists and grassroots groups (Hoey, in press;Mui et al, 2018).…”

“…Despite the role of food in city planning for the local economy, the environment, public health, and quality of neighborhoods (Pothukuchi & Kaufman, 1999), urban planners are rarely the first to launch food systems policies and plans (Hoey, in press;Mui et al, 2018). A more common scenario is that urban planners are brought into the food planning fold as targets of policy entrepreneurs coming mainly from public health departments and coalitions of scholar-activists and grassroots groups (Hoey, in press;Mui et al, 2018). Local governments seldom have a department of food, and few jurisdictions can dedicate a full-time staff member to the subject even when this blind spot has been identified (Harper et al, 2009).…”

“…While individual policies can be highly influential on the food system, as when zoning is amended to allow for agricultural uses and the construction of small structures that do not require a permit or engineer approval, stand-alone food system plans address a more comprehensive set of food system issues and components than individual policies can. Food system plans also tend to include issues that other plans may leave out, such as topics related to food waste reduction and management (Robert & Mullinix, 2018;von Massow et al, 2019), food and farm labor, local food aggregation and processing infrastructure (Clark et al, 2021), and food distribution and transportation (Mui et al, 2018). These plans are also more likely to represent broad coalitions of support across the food system that are important for enacting sustainable food systems and practices (Hoey, in press).…”