Community food systems are planned and strengthened according to the specific needs and preferences of community members through focused participatory processes. Community or food project needs may differ or share certain characteristics with other communities across the United States (US), depending on population size, city or county logistics, key stakeholders, or culture and food preference—there is no one-size-fits-all system. The resources in this section demonstrate how varied communities across the US have addressed these planning processes and developed sustainable solutions to fit the needs of their residents.
Click here to view What is the Food System - Infographic
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Tool Kits & Guidebooks
Planning
- Planners Guide to Community and Regional Food Planning (American Planning Association, 2008) (50 pages)
- Planning for food access and community-based food systems: A National Scan and Evaluation of Local Comprehensive and Sustainability Plans (American Planning Association, 2012) 175 pages
- Growing Local: A Community Guide to Planning for Agriculture and Food Systems (Growing Food Connections, 2017) (56 pages)
- Putting Local Food Policy to Work for Our Communities (Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic, 2017) 174 pages
Urban Agriculture
- Growing Urban Agriculture: Equitable Strategies and Policies for Improving Access to Healthy Food and Revitalizing Communities (Policy Link, 2012) (52 pages)
- Integrating urban farms into the social landscape of cities (Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2014) (51 pages)
- Dig, Eat, and Be Healthy: A guide to growing food on public property (Change Lab Solutions) 48 pages
- Seeding the City (Change Lab Solutions, 2011) (40 pages)
- Cultivating development trends and opportunities at the intersection of food and real estate (Urban Land Institute, 2016) (64 pages)
Regulations
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Fact Sheets
- Community Food Production: The Role of Local Governments in Increasing Community Food Production for Local Markets (Growing Food Connections, 2017)
- Food for All: Inclusive Food Planning in Austin, Texas (American Planning Association, 2018) 12 pages
- Food Systems and Planning in Rhode Island (American Planning Association, 2018) 10 pages
- EDIS Documents
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Regional Needs Assessments and Plans from Florida
- Pasco County Community Food System Assessment (Pasco County Board of County Commissioners, 2016) (29 pages)
- Orange County Food Production Strategic Plan (East Central Florida Regional Planning Council, 2016) (105 pages)
- Goldsboro Food Entrepreneurship Toolkit Best Practices for Regulating Food Uses (East Central Florida Regional Planning Council, n.d.) (40 pages)
- Goldsboro Food Entrepreneurship Plan: Growing the Local Economy with Food Production (East Central Florida Regional Planning Council, n.d.) (28 pages)
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Journal Articles
- Biehl, E., Buzogany, S., Baja, K., & Neff, R. A. (2018). Planning for a Resilient Urban Food System: A Case Study from Baltimore City, Maryland. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 8(B), 39–53. https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2018.08B.008
- Masson-Minock, M., & Stockmann, D. (2010). Creating a Legal Framework for Urban Agriculture: Lessons from Flint, Michigan. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 1(2), 91–104. https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2010.012.007
- Mui, Y., Khojasteh, M., Hodgson, K., & Raja, S. (2018). Rejoining the Planning and Public Health Fields. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 8(B), 73–93. https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2018.08B.004
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Organizations with Useful Resources for Planners
- American Planning Association
- Natural Resources Defense Council. Advocacy organization with useful resources and reports about food waste, production, and local food systems.
