Jones-Smith Co-Authors Study on Food Systems and Equity in Comprehensive Plans from Four U.S. Cities
Posted: 2026-11-06 12:45:00 (CSDE Research)
CSDE External Affiliate Jessica Jones-Smith (School of Population and Public Health, UC Irvine) and co-authors recently published a research article in Cities titled, “From Plan to Plate: Assessing Food Systems and Equity Considerations in Historical and Contemporary Comprehensive Plans from Four U.S. Cities.” Urban planning is a structural driver of health, shaping the environments and resources, including food systems, that enable or inhibit well-being. The authors analyzed historical and contemporary comprehensive plans from Chicago, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and New York City using a 57-indicator evaluation instrument to assess how equity orientation and food equity considerations have changed over time. They found that equity orientation has generally improved, most notably through stronger vision statements, but that food equity considerations remain uneven and fragmented. Nutritional adequacy, spatial equity, and food affordability are increasingly addressed, while culturally preferred foods, social equity, and agency remain underrepresented. Gains in general equity orientation did not always translate into stronger food equity measures, and the plans often lacked public participation processes and specifics on how actions would be implemented and monitored. The authors recommend embedding equity more deeply in both the content and process of planning through participatory governance, equity-focused evaluation, and systems thinking. The full article can be found here. Congratulations Dr. Jones-Smith!
Date: 11/04/2026