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Ajuda Foodscape Study

Improving food access in a disinvested community in Lisbon

Sector

Food Systems

Region

Europe

Timespan

2021-2022

Ajuda residents have a median income in the bottom 30% of Lisbon’s earnings and well below the city’s average (2009). The neighborhood’s population nearly doubles daily due to the influx of university staff and students. Credit: Gehl

How can the built environment make it easier for people to develop healthy food routines in their neighborhood? In Ajuda, Lisbon, Gehl worked with Local Approach and our Thriving Foodscapes method to explore how urban interventions can support a community-led food system and drive meaningful change towards a healthier neighborhood.

Only 1 in 5 food places observed in Ajuda sell fresh fruits and vegetables and only a few options are available within a 15-minute walk of where people live, study, and work. Public transit is slow and unreliable, making the journey to the supermarket even more difficult. People usually spend 30 minutes commuting by bus just to get groceries. Credit: Gehl
Limited food access and harsh topography together create additional challenges for individuals to access healthy food. People considered public space a greater challenge than grocery costs, as 55% of residents reported that spatial conditions restrict their access to healthy food. These conditions require a long uphill walk from the shopping area to their home. Credit: Gehl

Making the healthy choice the easy choice

To better understand the community’s needs, our team conducted a qualitative assessment of how the food environment influences daily behaviors. We examined how Ajuda’s built environment encourages or discourages healthy routines.

Working with local partners, we co-created and tested methods for them to lead much of the assessment. Through online workshops, in-person data collection, site analysis, and relationship building, we established a two-way learning process that strengthened both organizations.

Collaborating with stakeholders, we identified key interventions to address local challenges, ensuring useful outcomes by leveraging expertise and resources. This resulted in a foodscape strategy aimed at improving food access and public space quality.

The assessment highlighted barriers such as limited food access, poor public realm conditions, and weak infrastructure, which placed extra pressure on individuals to maintain healthy routines — requiring time, money, and food literacy.

To address this, we developed a Healthy Neighbourhood Strategy and pilot projects to increase healthy food availability, enhance dignity and enjoyment in food access and social interactions, and support systemic changes that make healthy food routines part of daily life in Ajuda.

Credit: Gehl
Jeff Risom, Partner Louise Vogel Kielgast, Portfolio Director of Urban Health Olivia Flynn, Lead Designer Julia Tabet, Architect, Urban Ecology Researcher Miriam Sode Alsteen, Behavioral Scientist Leila Jackson, Designer
The public realm poses a challenge to healthy food access in peripheral neighborhoods of Bogotá. Steep terrain, lack of transportation, and limited healthy food offerings make it difficult for Bogotanos to access the fresh produce needed to cook at home. The nature of the public realm forces people to rely on processed and fast food that is more accessible and heavily advertised. Credit: Gehl

Working across silos to address Bogotá’s food deserts through public space improvements

  • Community Engagement
  • Social Spatial Research
  • Urban Strategy
Credit: Gehl

Co-designing toolboxes for sustainable urban transformation

  • Community Engagement
  • Social Spatial Research
  • Urban Strategy
Credit: Van Leer Foundation

Advocating for child-friendly cities globally

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  • Social Spatial Research
  • Urban Strategy
Due to investments in large-scale infrastructure, the density of Melbourne’s peripheral areas is increasing. This is causing significant changes in the urban fabric of suburban centers. To measure changes over time, Gehl established a benchmark study in each of the station precincts focused at impacts on the public realm and changes in public life patterns. Credit: Suburban Rail Loop Authority

Enabling future impact assessment of Melbourne’s expanding rail infrastructure

  • Social Spatial Research
  • Urban Mobility
  • Urban Strategy
Credit: Gehl

Reimagining Duisburg, Germany’s industrial site as a vibrant public destination

  • Place Activation
  • Social Spatial Research
  • Urban Strategy
Wilton Park, developed by IPUT Real Estate, is a landmark mixed-use development in the heart of Dublin Southside. As part of the development, new office workplaces are complemented by a transformed public realm, enhancing connectivity, accessibility, and vibrancy. Credits: IPUT Real Estate, Dublin

Measuring the impact of placemaking at Wilton Park, Dublin

  • Social Spatial Research
  • Urban Mobility
  • Urban Strategy

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