Foodscapes in Urban and Regional Strategic Planning

Aim

On completion of the course, the student must, at an advanced level, be able to:

• Describe and explain concepts of foodscapes in strategic urban and regional planning
• Identify various competing foodscapes and their physical and social characteristics
• Describe connections between public health, lifestyle and foodscapes based on a multilevel perspective and social practice theory
• Identify and apply tools for planning initiatives in food systems and landscape planning

Content

The course introduces the concept of foodscape. The challenges of designing food systems, as well as the role of urban and regional planners in the transformation of practice relating to food and food systems, are studied. Further, the course introduces multi-level perspective and social practice theory in order to describe the connections between public health, lifestyle and foodscapes. During the course, methods and strategies for planning interventions in foodscapes and landscape planning are studied. The course discusses emerging options for food systems and their spatial expressions, as well as less sustainable spatial structures and institutions. Within the framework of the course an introduction is given to research as design, in order to examine alternative spatial arrangements for sustainable foodscapes.