Today we are going to explore the spatial dimensions of how we define “food access” and designate an area a “food desert”. What does it mean to have low access? How do we measure this? What does it mean to be low income? How do we measure this? Who gets left out of these measures? How do you increase access? These are just a few of the questions you will explore today!

1. Go to https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-access-research-atlas/
2. Read the About the Atlas section
   1. What do they use to measure “Food Access?”
   2. Do they take any other information into consideration?
3. Click Go to the Atlas to open the map. Navigate to Richmond VA.
4. Play with the different layers in the Legend.
   1. What do the layers represent?
   2. Do you notice any trends?
5. Go to https://wcupagis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapJournal/index.html?appid=f615b5d5c6f440969f21060fba0806bf
6. Read through the storymap
   1. How does this author define “food deserts” differently than the USDA?
   2. How does he calculate distance?
7. Read the following short article https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/12/food-swamps/549275/
   1. What do you believe is important in measuring “food access”?
   2. What is a food desert?
8. Go to http://arcg.is/0OHqKO and we will look at Census Data and grocery stores in the Richmond area