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Foodscapes
The Foodscape Assessment Toolkit is a research framework I co-created during my tenure at Philabundance, the Philadelphia region’s food bank, in partnership with Gehl. Designed to help organizations around the world analyze local food environments, the toolkit combines spatial analysis, participatory research, and cultural insight to reveal how the built environment and community practices shape food access. I helped shape the methodology from the ground up—facilitating workshops, developing research instruments, and synthesizing qualitative and quantitative findings into actionable guidance that continues to drive Philabundance’s strategy today. The framework is now used globally by partners seeking to better understand the social, spatial, and structural dimensions of food systems.
Skills
Mixed-methods research integrating spatial, qualitative, and quantitative data
Participatory design and community-engaged fieldwork
Framework development and synthesis for strategic decision-making
Cross-sector coordination across planning, public health, and community partners
Translation of complex research into accessible, actionable tools
My approach to this work is grounded in ethical engagement and cultural sensitivity, ensuring community members shape both the process and outcomes. This included co-creating an intergenerational community garden with North Philadelphia residents, coordinating multi-sector partners through participatory mapping, and translating lived experiences into design and policy recommendations. The resulting toolkit demonstrates how rigorous research, community knowledge, and urban design principles can integrate to support thriving, equitable, and culturally rooted food systems.
Learn More about this project: Thriving Foodscapes Gehl
