Food
Food is essential to life. It nourishes both our physical bodies and our souls. It helps us to share our cultures and identities with each other. It allows us to connect with people, animals, and the land. It is no wonder that food is an integral part of planning and policy. So much so that most cities were built around their food markets because food was crucial to people's daily life.
Today food may not be at the epicenter of our cities, but food continues to shape cities. When we think about planning, we must think about what people need to flourish, and food is a big part of that equation.
Photo Credit: Daniela Salazar
Photo Credit: Daniela Salazar
At UEP we approach food studies through an intersectional lens exploring connections between race, gender, class, and labor as they relate to urban agriculture, sustainability, food system planning, food policy, and food justice. Through coursework that is offered in partnership with the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, we are able to offer courses such as Food Justice, Fundamentals of U.S Agriculture, and Corporate Social Responsibility in the Food Industry. We also offer a dual degree with the Friedman school for students who want to deepen their understanding of planning as it relates to health, nutrition, and food.
Related Programs
- MA in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning
- MS in Environmental Policy and Planning
- Master of Public Policy
- UEP/Nutritional Dual Degree
Food Courses
- UEP/NUTR-0285: Food Justice: Critical Approaches in Policy and Planning
(Autumn, Julian Agyeman) - NUTR-0215: Fundamentals of U.S Agriculture
(Autumn, Nicole Tichenor Blackstone) - NUTR-0303: Determinants of U.S. Food Policy
(Autumn, Parke E. Wilde, Autumn) - NUTR/UEP-0238: Economics of Food, Agriculture, and Nutrition
(Autumn, William A. Masters) - NUTR-0278: Corporate Social Responsibility in the Food Industry
(Spring, Jessica L. Sparks) - NUTR-ON240: Famines and Severe Food Insecurity
(Spring, Merry Colleen Fitzpatrick) - NUTR-ON0234: Climate, Agriculture, & Food Policy
(Spring, Udita Sanga) - NUTR-0256: Climate Change: Risk and Adaptation for Food Systems and Beyond
(Spring, Erin Coughlan) - DHP-D237: Nutrition in Complex Emergencies: Policies, Practice, and Decision Making
(Spring, Erin Boyd) - NUTC-0262: Sustainable Food Systems and Markets
(Spring, Elena McCleery Martinex, Robert D. Guillemin)
Featured Faculty
Featured Alumni
- Cassandra Bull, National Farm to School Network
- Caitlin Matthews, Executive Director at Food Justice NW Aurora
- Chelsea Alexander, DISH Food Pantry Coordinator
- Lexie Raczka, Sustainability Director, Boston University Dining Services
- Erik Wilson, Food hub Co-manager at New Entry Sustainable Farming Project
- Jamie Fanous, Policy & Organizing Director at Community Alliance with Families
Farmers (CAFF)
Field Project & Thesis Examples
- Urban Farming Institute Thesis (Valerie Oorthuys) Feb 2015
- Food Plans as a Platform to Amplify Food Justice (Anna Bury) May 2022
- Palate and Place: Food, Third Spaces, and Identifying Among First and Second
Generation Koreans in Montgomery County, Maryland (Madeline Kim) May 2024 - Roots of Resilience: Exploring Social and Environmental Impacts of Community
Managed Food Forests in Boston, Massachusetts (Hannah Gruber) May 2024 - The Food Justice Frost: How Winter’s Impact on Local Growing Initiative is Viewed and
Addressed by Food Justice Practitioners in Boston, Massachusetts (Olivia Golden) May
2023 - Restaurants and Food Justice in Boston: A Case Study of Mei Mei (Valeria Menendez)
May 2023 - Getting to the Grocery Store: Planning Transportation Systems for Food Access (Allison
Wainer) - Re-Establishing the South Central Farm: Community Organizing for Food Justice and
Land Access in Los Angeles (Miranda Evita Briseno)