Will Capitalism Feed Us? Thesis abstract v.1

 Abstract: The legacy of inequitable planning due to systematic racism continues to undermine today’s planning initiatives to revitalize neighborhoods. Inequitable planning engenders social issues such as food apartheid. Despite the plethora of supermarkets and pantries many neighborhoods are still food insecure in NYC. New York’s governmental and grassroots-led programming targets food insecurity through two different approaches. Governmental approaches have largely been market-based and through a charity approach. Conversely, grassroots organizations have leveraged social networks to  start farmer’s markets, community gardens and food coops to address the intentional disinvestment. The goal is to increase food sovereignty and self - sufficiency these organizations rely on the civic participation they generate. However, there are only a smattering of social enterprises like food cooperative markets or CSAs in NYC. This thesis explores how urban development perpetuates food insecurity, and how can civic engagement be a panacea in building strong neighborhoods. It is necessary for Governmental and Community-based organizations to reorganize how feed off each other to address the issue food apartheid.