The present paper will examine the relationship between regional planning and the recently (re)emerged food systems territorial perspective. By means of comparative analyses, there will be discussed some of the core food planning challenges and resilient communities opportunities, currently being acknowledged within leading global cities’ contexts. In particular, it will be investigated whether and how the still fluid ‘foodshed’ concept may contribute to a more integrated and cross-sectorial regional planning stance. One of the key findings of the paper is that, today, the statement: “cities that are strategic sites in the global economy tend, in part, to disconnect from their region” (Sassen 1994: 52), is being progressively overturned. The world’s greatest innovation generators are now demonstrating a remarkable interest in weaving more regionalized and locally-sensitive food systems. What is more, the latter appear to have gathered a significant momentum and to have successfully ‘travelled’ (Healey 2007) through governance levels, at the point of influencing the governance culture. Food planning is recognized as “one of the most important social movements of the early twenty-first century in the global north” (Morgan 2009: 343). In addition, being intrinsically multi-scale and multidisciplinary in nature, regional food networks are seen as particularly strategic for multiple objectives achieving and effectively ‘more for less’ providing. Last but not least, the paper argues that the ‘foodshed’ framework is progressively being conceived as a ‘new form of spatial visioning’ and a tool for ‘relational geographies’ capturing.

Global cities re-imagining the region: the emerging "foodshed" paradigm. Exploring key challenges and opportunities for resilient communities building through food systems analysis and planning.

ILIEVA, ROSITSA TODOROVA
2011-01-01

Abstract

The present paper will examine the relationship between regional planning and the recently (re)emerged food systems territorial perspective. By means of comparative analyses, there will be discussed some of the core food planning challenges and resilient communities opportunities, currently being acknowledged within leading global cities’ contexts. In particular, it will be investigated whether and how the still fluid ‘foodshed’ concept may contribute to a more integrated and cross-sectorial regional planning stance. One of the key findings of the paper is that, today, the statement: “cities that are strategic sites in the global economy tend, in part, to disconnect from their region” (Sassen 1994: 52), is being progressively overturned. The world’s greatest innovation generators are now demonstrating a remarkable interest in weaving more regionalized and locally-sensitive food systems. What is more, the latter appear to have gathered a significant momentum and to have successfully ‘travelled’ (Healey 2007) through governance levels, at the point of influencing the governance culture. Food planning is recognized as “one of the most important social movements of the early twenty-first century in the global north” (Morgan 2009: 343). In addition, being intrinsically multi-scale and multidisciplinary in nature, regional food networks are seen as particularly strategic for multiple objectives achieving and effectively ‘more for less’ providing. Last but not least, the paper argues that the ‘foodshed’ framework is progressively being conceived as a ‘new form of spatial visioning’ and a tool for ‘relational geographies’ capturing.
2011
Proceedings of the 2011 UK/Ireland Planning Research Conference: Planning Resilient Communities in Challenging Times
regional planning; foodshed; sustainability; food systems; resilience
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11311/649326
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