A new study published in the February issue of Health Affairs presents evidence that providing fresh food in food deserts does not improve diets or health outcomes for residents.

Adding supermarkets to neighborhoods with a dearth of access to fresh and healthy food does not lead to improvements in residents' diets or health outcomes, according to an article by Clara Ritger, who details the findings of a report by a team of researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Penn State University's departments of sociology, anthropology, and demography.
According to Ritger’s description, the study compares two neighborhoods in Philadelphia, one which received a new supermarket, and one which did not: “When a grocery store was opened in one Philadelphia food desert, 26.7 percent of residents made it their main grocery store and 51.4 percent indicated using it for any food shopping, the report found. But among the population that used the new supermarket, the researchers saw no significant improvement in BMI, fruit and vegetable intake, or perceptions of food accessibility, although there was a significant improvement in perception of accessibility to fruits and vegetables.”
Ritger’s reporting connects the study’s findings to the $500 million federal Healthy Food Financing Initiative: “if the conclusion is borne out, it would suggest that policymakers rethink the Healthy Food Financing Initiative if they want to promote healthier eating and healthier citizens.”
The new report isn’t the first in 2014 to question whether current programs are doing enough to solve the growing problem of obesity in this country. But then again, another recent report ties fast food to growing Body Mass Index in wealthy countries.
FULL STORY: Bad News for Obama’s Antiobesity Effort

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions
An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?
The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.

Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts
Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie