The Right Foodstuff : Using GIS to Determine Food Accessibility in Hennepin and Ramsey Counties, MN

Abstract

Farmers' markets provide fresh, local food to urban neighborhoods. However, low income and predominantly minority areas tend to have poorer access to these food sources. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) provides the analysis tools necessary to identify the spatial patterns of food outlets in relation to population centers. This project uses geocoding and network analysis to examine neighborhood food access in Hennepin and Ramsey Counties, Minnesota.