Support for LAist comes from
Audience-funded nonprofit news
Stay Connected
Audience-funded nonprofit news
Listen

Share This

This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

Food

New Food Maps Program Aims to Encourage Healthy Lifestyles in South L.A.

groceries.jpg
Photo by pug freak on Flickr
()

With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today during our fall member drive. 

One of the many pressing food issues today is the existence of food deserts, or areas where the access to good, clean, fair food is scarce. Oftentimes these areas are in the heart of big cities, which might come as a surprise to some.

A new project is hoping to change that by mapping out good food available in South L.A., showing that healthy living is possible in the area. Their set of maps, which will be officially released this weekend, emphasizes areas where people can buy healthy food locally, and that healthy activities like bike rides and gardening can be both good for individuals and the community.

The map was developed after a series of exploratory bicycle rides and walks. To gather text and photos, organizers walked and biked with South L.A. teenagers and children through the community, as they discovered and documented healthy places to eat. They uploaded their photos directly from the cameras on their basic cellphones, using the USC Annenberg Innovation Lab platform called ParTour, developed by Professor François Bar and the ParTour researchers.

"The story here is there are a lot of places where we can get healthy food and safe ways to get there if you don't have a car. The idea is to encourage people to look at options that are right there," Bar said.

Support for LAist comes from

Organizers worked with the CicLAvia graphic designer Colleen Corcoran to turn the stream of pictures into a custom map, which will be distributed for the first time at a community ride this weekend.

The event begins at 10 a.m. on March 3 at Mercado La Paloma, 3655 S. Grand Ave. For more info on this weekend's ride, visit the Ride South L.A site.

At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.

But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.

We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.

Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.

Chip in now to fund your local journalism
A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right
(
LAist
)

Trending on LAist