Supermarket Gentrification: Part of

1
Supermarket Gentrification Part of the Dietary
Divide

• Peter Zelchenko
• http//zelchenko.comhttp//ward43.blogspot.compe
  te_at_printchicago.com

2
Food planning Unprecedented interdisciplinary
activity

• Formalized policy/research initiatives
• CSU Department of Geography NAC
• Chicago Food System Collaborative
• Children CLOCC and Healthy Schools Campaign

• MCICs Chain Reaction Study
• Family Farmed
• Institute for Community Resource Development
• Policy Research Action Group Loyola CSU,
  DePaul, NLU, UIC

3
Food planning...

• Activists and local organizations
• CCCP, CDPH
• Claire Pentecost
• Dock Walls and CFABC Reform Dominicks
• Pat Dowell-Cerasoli and NWSCDC
• West Town and the war for independents

4
Food planning...

• Officials
• Alds. Laurino and Flores Supermarket Task Force
• Minority legislators for CLOCCs Consensus Agenda
• Ald. Floress anti-restrictive covenant ordinance
• Citys increased promotion of farmers markets

5
Food planning...

• Farms and CSAs
• Growing Home
• Ken Dunns City Farm
• Regional CSAs and farms

6
The trouble in West Town

• Gentrifying community losing last independent
  supermarkets
• Observations
• Prices Found Jewel and Dominicks prices
  significantly higher
• Store size Found Jewel and Dominicks obsessed
  with much larger stores...

7
The trouble in West Town...

• Observations...
• Why are they so big and why do they cost more?
• The land value hypothesis
• But many shoppers prefer multiple medium-size
  markets nearby, not one big megastore
• Draw a connection to the high and low ends

8
Solution Core services initiative

• Obtain land
• Establish special occupancy conditions
• Incentives Rent, taxes artificially reduced
• We did it backwards in West Town

9
Solution Core services initiative...

• Implementation
• Roll out immediately in identified emergency
  areas
• Ultimate goal is to have walkable competition for
  services