After four years of banning the construction of new stand-alone fast food restaurants in South L.A., the city's planning department is considering raising the ban amid increasing questions about the impact of food deserts on obesity.
When the city of Los Angeles issued a moratorium on new fast food franchises opening within the South L.A. neighborhoods of West Adams, Baldwin Village and Leimart Park in 2008, "[t]he goal of the ban was to give restaurants and grocery stores offering fresher, healthier items a chance to flourish in the area, thus giving residents more options when shopping for food," writes Rick Paulas.
But, amid increasing questions about the connection between food deserts and obesity, "it was announced recently that a new proposed Community Plan for the area will lift the restrictions and allow a new influx of fast food restaurants in the area."
Paulas, however, isn't convinced that the city should abandon its attempts to expand access to fresh food in these areas of the city. "Food deserts are a chicken-and-egg problem," he argues. "Humans need to be educated about how to eat properly, there's no doubt about that. If they aren't getting that education, they won't be demanding healthier options from their neighborhood or giving that new 'fresh' grocery store a chance. And if they aren't demanding produce, 'fresh' stores will stop opening up there because it's simply not a viable business option. And if there are no healthy options, people will just continue frequenting the fast food franchises, leading to a continuing proliferation of them, leading to fewer grocery stores (and the opportunities they provide), and the cycle just goes ahead and starts over."
"Which is to say, to fix the problem, the cycle must be broken."
FULL STORY: Fast Food Ban in South L.A. May Be Overturned

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

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

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

Study: How Urban Parks Can Support Biodiversity
Conservation and recreation can go hand in hand in urban green spaces designed to serve both humans and local wildlife.

High-Speed Rail Tracker
Smart Cities Dive follows high-speed rail developments around the country

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.
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.
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service