A Mirage in the Desert: A Spatial Network Analysis of Supermarket Expansion as a Mitigator of Food Insecurity in a Formerly Redlined Neighborhood

Keywords: Food desert, food insecurity, redlining, gentrification, GIS, network analysis
Session Type: Virtual Poster Abstract
Day: Friday
Session Start / End Time: 2/25/2022 05:20 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/25/2022 06:40 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 21

Abstract

Third Ward is a formerly redlined, predominantly African-American working-class neighborhood in Houston, Texas. Of the Greater Third Ward Super Neighborhood’s six census tracts, three are officially designated as food insecure (“food desert”) areas due to low income and limited supermarket access. Using GIS network analysis, we calculated driving distances from all residential intersections in the neighborhood to the nearest supermarkets. We also created one-mile service delivery boundaries for each supermarket. These analyses were conducted for the supermarket landscape prior to and after 2019-2020, during which a number of changes occurred, including the loss of two existing supermarkets and the addition of two new stores. We analyzed the impact of one particular new supermarket that was touted by government officials as a solution to Third Ward’s food desert situation; the property was purchased by the City with federal Economic Development Initiative funding and leased to the supermarket. In addition to analyzing this data in relation to census-derived data on median household income, race/ethnicity, and vehicular access, we overlaid the network analysis and service area data on historical Home Owners Loan Corporation security grade (“redlining”) boundaries. We found that drive times and service area coverage in Third Ward were not improved by the addition of the new supermarkets, and any potential gains were offset by the closing of more affordable stores closer to the food insecure census tracts. Our results indicate that expanding the footprint of supermarkets alone, particularly in formerly redlined and disinvested neighborhoods, is not sufficient to mitigate food insecurity.