Concordia Study Exposes Fresh Food Access Gaps in Montreal
Nearly 20 percent of Montreal residents face a significant challenge in accessing fresh and healthy food, as they live or work more than a 10-minute walk from grocery stores or produce markets, according to a recent study from Concordia University. The research, which analyzed how walking, cycling, and public transit shape food accessibility, also found that half of Montrealers have access to no more than two such stores within that walking distance.
Impact on Vulnerable Populations
For elderly individuals and those with mobility issues, obtaining fresh and affordable food can be particularly difficult and time-consuming. The study underscores that these groups are disproportionately affected by the lack of nearby food sources, exacerbating health and equity concerns in urban settings.
Methodology and Key Findings
Led by Sepideh Khorramisarvestani, a PhD candidate in Concordia's department of geography, planning and environment, the study employed an advanced-routing algorithm to map residential areas at the city-block level against nearly 1,000 healthy food establishments, excluding convenience stores and restaurants. The researchers evaluated three scenarios: walking only, cycling only, and a combination of active transportation with public transit.
Key results include:
- Cycling significantly reduces disparities in access compared to walking alone.
- The most effective access to healthy food comes from integrating active travel with public transit, within a 30-minute window.
- Areas with five or more stores along a route are considered to have strong access, while those with two or fewer have poor access.
Geographic Disparities in Access
Neighbourhoods in Montreal's downtown core and adjacent areas, characterized by proximity to métro lines, busy commercial streets, and robust walking, cycling, and transit facilities, showed adequate to good access to fresh food. In contrast, less well-served areas included western and southwestern Montreal, Montreal North, and eastern suburban regions, which had fewer grocery stores and longer distances between transit stops.
Recommendations for Improvement
The study's authors, including co-authors Pierre Gauthier and Ursula Eicker, suggest several strategies to enhance food accessibility. These include broadening cycling networks, improving and expanding public transit, and developing mobility hubs that integrate transit stops with pedestrian and cycling facilities and grocery stores. Khorramisarvestani emphasized, "These results show us that we can greatly increase accessibility to healthy food by locating grocery stores close to public transit. This ensures people can get necessities on their way home from work."
Funding and Implications
The research was supported by the Fonds de recherche du Québec and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. The findings highlight the critical role of urban planning in promoting equity, suggesting that integrated transportation solutions could serve as a "superpower" for universal access to essential services in Montreal.
