Dr. Bryce Lowery, an assistant professor in the division of Regional + City Planning, recently spoke at a symposium highlighting food security issues in northeast Oklahoma City.
The Urban Land Institute of Oklahoma brought Oklahoma City residents, policymakers and experts together to “discuss potential ways to solve the food access crisis in northeast OKC,” according to an article that highlighted the symposium. Gibbs College is proud to have served as a community partner for this event.
Other speakers at the symposium included professors from the University of Southern California and University of Maryland in Baltimore County, with the panel moderated by OKC Councilwoman Nikki Nice.
Lowery’s recent work investigates investigates the relationship between grocery store location, socioeconomic statuses and diet-related health outcomes in Oklahoma. He has noted that low-income and minority communities often have fewer grocery stores.
“I’ve been here six years, and it’s been a conversation that I’ve heard the whole time I’ve been here — what do we do about the northeast side?” Lowery said.
Rather than continuously depending on large corporations, Lowery said community based solutions are necessary. Though Oklahoma has plentiful agricultural land, there is still a lack of full service grocery stores, especially in northeast Oklahoma City.
Read the full article and learn what the other speakers had to say.
Featured photo by Archiebald Browne
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