Gardening in the desert: a spatial optimization approach to locating gardens in rapidly expanding urban environments

Urban Farm DB summary

This study used spatial optimization models in the Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan area to identify optimal locations for urban gardens near food deserts and on vacant land. Spatial analysis found that existing gardens are primarily in areas with good food access, providing an alternative food source to only 8.4% of food desert residents. The optimization model, however, identified 53 alternative garden locations that could cover 96.4% of all food deserts, demonstrating a significant improvement over the current distribution.