Planning Studio Award
Planning Studio Award
Planning Studio 2021 awarded by the American Planning Association New Jersey Chapter
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The NJ APA has publicly shared the following information:
The Rowan University students under the guidance of faculty advisory Dr. Mahbubur Meenar drafted a vision plan to promote the cultivation of food equity where roughly 22% of Glassboro residents live below the poverty level and 70% of residents have limited access to healthy and fresh food. Children, older adults, single female-headed households, and racial and ethnic minority populations living in specific pockets of the borough face food insecurity disproportionately. This project took a novel approach by addressing community food insecurity issues using a food equity lens, linking the issue with health equity and racial justice. The studio partnered with Rowan University’s Community Planning + Visualization Lab to contribute to an ongoing community-based research study, sponsored by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and New Jersey Health Initiatives.
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Key findings were presented in May 2021 and the plan is already on its way to implementation. The Glassboro Health Equity Coalition has decided to implement four recommended projects: (i) an advanced study to change policies related to urban agricultural practices in Glassboro; (ii) expansion of the Rowan University community garden; (iii) advancement of the Food Recovery Network program to increase food donations activities retrieved from local restaurants; and (iv) creation of a food data hub for Glassboro residents.