A new demographic tool from the USDA compiles data about food choices and characteristics, allowing the creation of detailed maps. Edible Geography wonders what using food as a metric will tell us about the U.S.
The Food Environment Atlas was jointly developed by the USDA, the Centers for Disease Control, the National Cancer Institute, the National Farm-to-School Network, and the University of Illinois at Chicago, and it compiles nearly 100 indicators.
"The Atlas currently maps ninety food environment indicators, divided into three broad categories. "Food Choices" includes both measurements of food access and consumption, from the number of supermarkets to per 1000 people to restaurant expenditures per capita. "Health and Well-Being" tracks dietary outcomes, such as hunger, diabetes, and obesity. And "Community Characteristics" adds an extra level of demographic data, including income levels and metro/non-metro status.
The idea, then, is that researchers, policy-makers, and individuals can compare counties across America, comparing and analysing the correlation between food choice, health outcomes, and population characteristics. So, what do you see when you look at America using food as the metric?"
Read the full story: United States of Food
Geographers Aren’t Going Anywhere
Microsoft says AI renders my profession obsolete. They couldn’t be more wrong.
Trump Cuts Decimate Mapping Agency
The National Geodetic Survey maintains and updates critical spatial reference systems used extensively in both the public and private sectors.
A Visual Celebration of Manhattan’s Chinatown Elder Community, Through Food
Lanterns, cafeteria trays, and community connection take center stage in this stunning photo essay.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Chicago breaks ground on $3 billion megadevelopment
The new neighborhood, titled Foundry Park, will one day host 3,700 residences.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
This road in NYC is infamously dangerous — and Mamdani can't fix it
New York City's Ocean Parkway is known for reckless driving, but the power to implement safety measures lies with the state rather than the city.
One of Denver’s busiest corridors to gain BRT
The project will span 18 miles and contain 74 bus rapid transit stations.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority