Although food is a crucial component of every person’s life,
history has not made much justice in the context of planning. For planners,
food has been portrayed as an external issue that does not seem fitting for
them to work on. However, many (if not all) aspects of the food system affect
most sectors of both urban and rural planning. Pothukuchi and Kaufman (2000)
explain from their studies conducted that most planning agencies do not address
food even when food policy councils or other food organizations are present in
the community. Why? Because they categorize it as not part of their turf.
If food has been disregarded by city and community planners
for such a long time, many of the current afflictions that surround both the
urban and rural environments can be accredited to the lack of attention to it,
and planners can trace back how some errors might have been prevented if food
was considered in every comprehensive plan for a city. Pothukuchi and Kaufman
state the importance by saying that “To be truly concerned about improving
human settlements, planners need to incorporate food issues into their working
models.”
The authors also make an important note in how planners can
remediate the issue by including food systems in all aspects of planning. One
example is offered by assessing the
impact of current planning on the local food system, should planners
consider the effects of development and strategize where food hubs are
established, the local economy can greatly improve and it can prevent many
health complications due to a lack of access to fresh foods and groceries.
Additionally, if a city is conscious about its local food sources, it can also
analyze the areas of the city that require attention for restoration, bringing
opportunity to community gardens and other initiatives that can enhance food
security.
If we plan with food instead of against it, communities can see the benefits, or it can be shown as a precautionary method where problems due to the bad administration of food would happen otherwise. Not only the responsibility falls under planners, but also the constituents of one or many communities.
This survey was really interesting in that it showed that urban planners don't plan our food system when it really is something that needs to be planned. So that it can work with us, and our cities to make them more livable, greener and provide access of healthy food to the poorest residents. However, I think it's lack of resources and know-how on the planners' part that they haven't addressed our food system yet. But I think there is also a heavy degree of laziness on agencies that work with farming, conservation and the environment that haven't worked with the food system because they don't want too or that it's so much easier to let the private world take care of it- even if they do a bad job.
ReplyDeleteAlberto, I like how you used the readings to substantiate your opinion that, in essence, planners must be held accountable for the current and past transgressions of our fragmented food systems. Implementing a food systems element to comprehensive plans could be an all-encompassing solution, but I'm afraid that requiring the element's existence is the biggest hurdle of them all. I feel this way fora couple of reasons; first, is that it would be to admit a somewhat preventable issue occurred. Given the hubris of our government and its bureaucracies, let alone standard human nature, I'm not sure that we will be eager to do so. Second, just as you articulated, planners most often do not consider this issue part of their realm, and as Dr. Butler mentioned in class on Tuesday, many planners do not have an technically training or expertise in the subject. How can we correct for that? APA conferences might host sessions on the issue, but you can't force or guarantee every planner will attend. It would require a deeper expansion of knowledge within individual localities, which takes a lot of resources--time and money--that agencies simply do not have. This isn't always a terrible thing, though, and isn't meant to be negative or cynical. I do believe that sometimes in the absence of the necessary tools, people innovate the most. Recognizing the issue and trying to do something about it, may lead to plans, programs, and policies that wouldn't have been created if someone had pigeonholed themselves into mimicking what others do. So, in that regard there are pros and cons. Finally, however, I think the biggest hurdle in the State of Florida is legislation. The state dictates the required elements of the comprehensive plan, although you can have any additional elements beyond that. It would be very difficult to require a "food systems" element because the current political climate is removing itself farther and farther from the regulation of growth management, which is widely perceived as redacting Florida's notoriously replicated growth management standards. This, coupled with big industry's influence on state politics, makes a required food systems element in the state of Florida unlikely. But, that doesn't mean that city and county governments cannot implement their own (unrequired) element in pursuit of a more sustainable food system, which arguably, should be urged by APA Florida.
ReplyDeleteI agree with youe comment about planning with food and not against it. I feel as if planners took this approach, then the food administration system would greatly benefit and perhaps be more sustainable. For example, if planning was focused on the food systems,then maybe we wouldn't be facing the problem of trying to raise the next generation of farmers that can successfully feed the United States of America. Also, if planners focused on food systems, then maybe we wouldn't be facing the problem of food deserts and food swaps in certain location of America.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with youe comment about planning with food and not against it. I feel as if planners took this approach, then the food administration system would greatly benefit and perhaps be more sustainable. For example, if planning was focused on the food systems,then maybe we wouldn't be facing the problem of trying to raise the next generation of farmers that can successfully feed the United States of America. Also, if planners focused on food systems, then maybe we wouldn't be facing the problem of food deserts and food swaps in certain location of America.
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