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On Urban Form and Accessibility to Fresh Food: An Enquiry into the Spatial Distribution of Fresh Food Retail Establishments, in Relation to Transportation Networks and the Built Environment: A Montreal Case Study

Title:

On Urban Form and Accessibility to Fresh Food: An Enquiry into the Spatial Distribution of Fresh Food Retail Establishments, in Relation to Transportation Networks and the Built Environment: A Montreal Case Study

Xie, Jing (2017) On Urban Form and Accessibility to Fresh Food: An Enquiry into the Spatial Distribution of Fresh Food Retail Establishments, in Relation to Transportation Networks and the Built Environment: A Montreal Case Study. Masters thesis, Concordia University.

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Abstract

This thesis discusses the relationship between urban form and accessibility to fresh food in Montreal. Anchored in the disciplines of urban morphology and retail geography, it mobilizes GIS-based spatial and network analysis, as well as methods for measuring travel times by transportation modes. Establishments selling fresh fruits and vegetables are used as a proxy for healthy and nutritious food retailing. A three-pronged analysis is performed that looks into the establishments’ spatial distribution; the physical and spatial characteristics of their surroundings; and their accessibility by active and collective transportation modes. A morphological approach reveals fine spatial articulations between retail location and specific characteristics and properties of the urban system, including its transportation infrastructures. The importance of accessibility to fresh food on public health cannot be over-emphasized. Furthermore, a supply system that reduces automobile dependence is a crucial step towards social and environmental sustainability and equitability.

Divisions:Concordia University > Faculty of Arts and Science
Item Type:Thesis (Masters)
Authors:Xie, Jing
Institution:Concordia University
Degree Name:M. Sc.
Program:Geography, Urban & Environmental Studies
Date:12 January 2017
Thesis Supervisor(s):Gauthier, Pierre
Keywords:retail geography, access to fresh food, sustainable transportation, urban form
ID Code:982110
Deposited By: JING XIE
Deposited On:09 Jun 2017 15:29
Last Modified:18 Jan 2018 17:54

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