Find It, Cook It, Save It: From Healthy Food Access to Food Hub and Food Recycling in Brooklyn Park

Abstract

This project was completed as part of the 2016-2017 Resilient Communities Project (rcp.umn.edu) partnership with the City of Brooklyn Park. Many Brooklyn Park residents live in food deserts, areas where access to healthy and affordable food is limited. The city has also witnessed an increase in commercial food operations arising in residential homes, which can pose health risks to consumers and fire risks in residential areas from commercial-scale production in home kitchens. To address these issues, students in Dr. Fernando Burga’s Introduction to Site Planning course used geographic information systems analysis to identify areas of Brooklyn Park where residents have limited access to healthy foods, provided concept plans for a commercial-grade community kitchen where individuals would be able to safely prepare and package food products for sale to the public, and recommendations for an organics recycling and excess food donation program to reduce solid waste from both the proposed community kitchen and restaurants, retail establishments, and institutions that sell or prepare food. The students’ final report is available.