Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning

Food

The study of food systems, agriculture, and food justice intersects with urban policy and planning in myriad ways. Not only is food needed for survival, but it also brings communities, cultures and individuals together, it is a force of social and climate resilience, and it dramatically affects land use worldwide. At UEP, we approach food studies through an intersectional lens through coursework, Field Projects, faculty research, and theses. We explore the connections between food production and supply and themes such as urban agriculture, labor, sustainable agriculture, food system planning, and food policy. With the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy just across the river in downtown Boston, students also have the opportunity to focus their studies more specifically on Agriculture, Food and Environment (AFE) or Food and Nutrition Policy and Programs (FANP) through our dual degree program.

Related Programs

Featured Courses

UEP 0285-01 Food Justice: Critical Approaches in Policy and Planning
Instructor: Agyeman

UEP 0224-01/PH 0288-01 Public Health and the Built Environment
Instructor: Davis

UEP 0194-AA Sustainability and the Food Industry
Instructor: Guillemin

UEP 0223-01 Fundamentals of U.S. Agriculture
Instructor: Blackstone

    Featured Faculty

    Julian Agyeman

    Julian Agyeman

    Professor of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning and Interim Chair, Fletcher Professor of Rhetoric and Debate, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning
    Sustainability policy and planning; environmental and food justice; intercultural cities

    Featured Alumni

    Field Project & Thesis Examples