Urbanite Project 2012: Healthy Food Challenge

Urbanite Project 2012: Healthy Food Challenge seeks ideas for transforming Baltimore into a healthy city. Specifically, we’re seeking creative, innovative, non-traditional ideas that address one or more of the barriers to affordable, healthy food for Baltimore City residents living in food deserts.

Barriers to healthy food for people living in food deserts include, but are not limited to:

• Transportation
• A lack of healthy food at nearby stores
• A lack of healthy food options at such charitable organizations as soup kitchens, food pantries, etc.
• Education—a lack of knowledge about which foods are healthiest, how to prepare them, etc.
• A lack of food preparation appliances, equipment
• Time—for example, a single parent working multiple jobs has limited time to shop for and prepare healthy food.
• Cost of healthy food

Baltimore City Food Policy Recommendations

In 2010, the Baltimore City Food Policy Task Force came up with the following guidelines to work toward increasing access to healthy food in food deserts:

1. Promote and expand farmers markets
2. Support community gardens and urban agriculture
3. Expand supermarket home delivery program
4. Develop a targeted marketing campaign to encourage healthy eating among all Baltimoreans
5. Support street vending of healthy foods
6. Promote and expand community supported agriculture
7. Support a central kitchen model for schools
8. Support research on food deserts and collaboration with policy makers
9. Improve the food environment around schools and recreation centers
10. Create healthy food zoning requirements or incentives

Urbanite Project 2012: Healthy Food Challenge is open to any individual, group, organization, or company. This is a blind competition. Professional qualifications are not required; anyone with an engaging, creative, and unique idea for increasing access to healthy, affordable food in Baltimore’s food deserts is encouraged to submit a proposal.

Submissions must adhere to the following guidelines:

• Proposal must be mounted on a single 24” x 30” board (foam core, chipboard, or similar material). Applicants should use a combination of text and no fewer than three images (renderings, drawings, photographs, diagrams, etc.) to convey their concept. Text must not exceed 500 words and must include as many details as possible about the project, including time frame for implementing the proposal, materials, dimensions, etc.
• Include names, affiliations, and a short biography of team member(s), along with team contact email, address, and phone number, on the back of the board. This information should not be visible on the front of the board.
• Mail or hand-deliver board to:
  Urbanite
  2002 Clipper Park Road, 4th Floor
  Baltimore, MD 21211

Urbanite Project 2012: Healthy Food Challenge www.urbaniteproject.com