Degree Type
Thesis
Date of Award
2020
Degree Name
Master of Community and Regional Planning
Department
Community and Regional Planning
Major
Sustainable Agriculture; Community and Regional Planning
First Advisor
Francis Owusu
Abstract
Food pantries and free meal programs provide a critical service to low-income individuals and families living in the Des Moines MPA given the high rates of poverty and food insecurity. The geographic proximity of food assistance programs for low-income individuals and families provides a valuable indicator for understanding the potential success of these services given their limited means and options for transportation. First, this research sought to develop an organizational profile for each organization in an attempt to understand organizational influences on the location selection processes and criteria in practice. Second, this research sought to evaluate the potential geographic accessibility of these services for low-income individuals and families living in the Des Moines MPA by evaluating their geographic proximity using GIS to specific demographic data, the public transportation system, and other supplemental services. The interview process found that program organizers underwent an intentional location selection process utilizing criteria and that the type of organization (religious, nongovernmental or governmental) appears to play a role in the location selection criteria utilized in the decision-making process. The GIS analysis found the majority of programs are geographically accessible due to their close geographic proximity to public transportation stops, supplemental services, census tracts with high percentages of poverty, and census tracts with high percentages of racial diversity among residents. In sum, while food assistance programs appear to vary in their location selection decision-making processes, in practice, they tend to find and select locations that effectively serve low-income individuals and families living in the Des Moines MPA.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.31274/etd-20200624-57
Copyright Owner
Jacob Howe
Copyright Date
2020-05
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
File Size
112 pages
Recommended Citation
Howe, Jacob, "Understanding site location factors of food pantries and free meal programs in the Des Moines, IA metro" (2020). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 17878.
https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd/17878