Comments on: Place and Space Determine Neighborhood Health In Oakland, California

By: Robert Poole

Robert Poole — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 03:58:32 +0000

Thanks for the comment Michael. Oakland is an interesting place in that it changes so fast, often from block to block. For example, 4 blocks from where I took that picture of the liquor store are new developments, one being a affordable grocery store. However, that is in North Oakland bordering with Emeryville. West Oakland and East Oakland are still different stories. West Oakland is definitely one of the larger food desserts in the Bay Area. And it is so hard to attract businesses to go there because of the high levels of poverty and crime. That is why this more than an issue of healthy policy.

I am not familiar with New York’s initiative. I’ll have to look into that. Frankly, there is a lot of work to be done in Oakland. But it looks like steps are being taken in the right direction. It is a place I want to explore more and hopefully can work in in the near future.

By: Robert Poole

Robert Poole — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 03:49:59 +0000

Dad – It really is a holistic issue, resulting from years and years of development that has promoted white flight and extremely inequitable planning. Regarding transportation, these neighborhoods often don’t have the same level of access to public transit that more affluent areas do. This makes the trip to the healthy grocery stores substantially longer. There are solutions out there for this problem, but I think the real question is where do you start?

By: Michael Jenkins

Michael Jenkins — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 23:28:41 +0000

This is a huge issue all over Oakland. I know off of E.14 there is an over saturation of liquor stores. Block after block you can count more liquor stores than blocks you’re passing.

In terms of solution, Oakland can easily model what New York did by granting those wanting to start these store fronts with the opportunity to do so with fresh food to balance out the negative and create a culture of healthy behavior.

However I am unsure this is a true priority for the city and its officials.

By: Doug Poole

Doug Poole — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 20:25:15 +0000

We were in West Oakland a couple of months ago and had to go to a Rite Aid pharmacy. The prices for virtually everything in that Rite Aid were substantially higher than we see in Rite Aids in better neighborhoods. That strikes me as a franchisee taking advantage of the residents in the neighborhood who may not have the transportation or time to go to the lower price stores, or simply don’t know they are being charged more.

The food issue is also an education issue and, as you point out, is tough to address. The local community efforts are critical and extremely helpful, but early education on healthy foods is also important. I agree it’s a holistic urban planning issue.