Category Archives: Publications

Local Government Food Policy Database

Local Government Food Policy Database:

Growing Food Connections

The Growing Food Connections Local Government Policy Database is a searchable collection of local public policies that explicitly support community food systems. This database provides policymakers, government staff, and others interested in food policy with concrete examples of local public policies that have been adopted to address a range of food systems issues: rural and urban food production, farmland protection, transfer of development rights, food aggregation and distribution infrastructure, local food purchasing and procurement, healthy food access, food policy councils, food policy coordination, food system metrics, tax reductions and exemptions for food infrastructure, and much more.

Local Public Policy

The Growing Food Connections team defines local public policy as: a course of municipal, county or regional government action in response to public problems or issues.

Policy Types

This database includes a range of policies such as local laws, ordinances, resolutions, motions, orders, and directives, as well as plans, standards, guidelines, tax exemptions and other public financing policies. Policies span different geographic regions, sizes of government, rural and urban contexts, and public issues. In addition to general information about policy type, topic and adoption date, the database includes policy documents, or the adopted policy language for each policy. When available, this database also lists information about the adopting, implementing, and supporting public agencies and non-governmental organizations; funding amount and sources; and policy outcomes – initiatives, programs, projects and other actions enabled, established or supported by the policy.

Submit A Policy From Your Community

Help your community be recognized! If your community has adopted a local or regional government policy that impacts the food system, submit it for inclusion in the database. We are only able to include policies that have been officially adopted by a local government (municipality or county) in the United States.

Policies can be submitted by completing this form.

What about food systems plans and policies adopted outside of the United States?

If you are interested in sub-national policies that are being adopted outside of the United States, please visit this Global Database hosted by the University at Buffalo and RUAF Foundation.

——————

This database is continually updated. Policies included in this database have not been evaluated. Population categories are based on USDA’s Rural-Urban Continuum Codes. The database is the intellectual property of the University at Buffalo and partners.

Local Government Food Policy Database

Critical food policy literacy: Conceptualizing community municipal food policy engagement

Food policies should be informed by those who they intend to serve, but policy-making processes remain exclusive to privileged voices, knowledge, and experiences. This article bridges food and policy scholarship with the critical literacy work of Paulo Freire to answer: how do we understand literacies tied to food policy? What does (or, what could) it mean to be food policy literate? This article proposes five principles for conceptualizing critical food policy literacy that support food system transformations.

The paper suggests that efforts to promote critical food policy literacy must facilitate communities to (a) “read the world,” (b) “read the word,” (c) be critically aware of food policy processes and systems, (d) learn contextually and through authentic practice, and (e) enable people to negotiate and transform the world (their context) collectively.

Read the full paper here DOI: https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2023.122.008

What do people need to know before they can transform municipal food policies?

New research by UB Food Lab member Carol E Ramos-Gerena in the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2023.122.008

INTRODUCTION

Food policies should be informed by those who they intend to serve, but policy-making processes remain exclusive to privileged voices, knowledge, and experiences. This article bridges food and policy scholarship with the critical literacy work of Paulo Freire to answer: how do we understand literacies tied to food policy? What does (or, what could) it mean to be food policy literate? In a new JAFSCD article, Carol E. Ramos-Gerena proposes five principles for conceptualizing critical food policy literacy that support food system transformations.

KEY FINDINGS

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POLICY, PRACTICE, AND RESEARCH

Possessing knowledge on engaging with food policy processes is not commensurate with actual engagement. Thus, structural barriers to community participation must also be addressed. Food system planners and educators, particularly at the municipal level, should support locally-based citizen food organizations to engage in food policy. This support must go beyond assessing communities’ food policy literacy. Instead, it must intend to bridge the gap to ensure critical readiness for food policy engagement.

For questions and suggestions, contact us at foodsystems@ap.buffalo.edu.

Food Lab researchers release major U.N. report on food systems planning

Researchers from the University at Buffalo Food Lab were the driving force behind the publication today of a major report that details strategies local governments in low- and middle-income countries can use to create more innovative and equitable community food systems.

The 164-page report — titled “Local government planning for community food systems” — was published in early February 2021 by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a United Nations agency that leads international efforts to defeat hunger.

Cover of a major report published by the United Nations in February that was written by UB researchers.

“To my knowledge, this is one of the earliest documents outlining how local governments can take action to create innovative and equitable food systems in low- and middle-income countries,” said Samina Raja, PhD, director of the UB Food Lab, who shepherded the initiative.

The report was co-produced by researchers and community partners in the case study countries, along with authors Raja, Erin Sweeney, Yeeli Mui and Emmanuel Frimpong Boamah of UB’s Community for Global Health Equity and the Food Lab. It includes contributions from 10 students and six community partners from Ghana, Jamaica, and India.

Sweeney coordinated the work in Odisha (India), while Mui led in Kerala, India, and Frimpong Boamah in Ghana. Mui was a postdoc at UB when the project started and is now an assistant professor in the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University.

UB researchers were the driving force behind this report published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

A food system is the rich and complex web through which a community gets its food.

Despite major developments, local governments in low- and middle-income countries continue to face significant challenges in integrating food security, nutrition and sustainable food systems in their agenda, FAO directors Anna Lartey and Vimlendra Sharan note in the foreword to the report.

“This publication invites us to rethink food systems and supply chains through the lens of a ‘community,’ as a reminder that people and their everyday practices and relationships with food are central to the design of these processes,” they write.

The report comprises six sections featuring contributions from UB and other global food systems researchers. Topics covered include describing the many ways in which local governments influence a community’s food system, an overview of the field of food systems planning, examples of local government policies from across the globe, and case studies from a number of low- and middle-income countries where food systems present an opportunity for equitable innovation.

“In its conclusion, the report reinforces the critical role of community food systems for broader social transformation in cities and regions,” says Raja, who also serves as co-director of UB’s Community for Global Health Equity.

The report is unique in that it is centered around the experiences of smallholder farmers in low- and middle-income countries. These farmers are responsible for growing food for the world and yet they are often the most food insecure, Raja points out.

“It is with this premise that we went about this work,” she says, adding that the team interviewed smallholder farmers in Ghana, India and Jamaica. “It became certain that it is impossible to prepare plans and policies without understanding the successes, challenges and adaptations made by smallholder farmers to do their job and survive. They feed the world, they fight climate change, they protect our ecologies — smallholder farmers are truly on the ‘frontline.’”

Raja says local governments have the ability and a responsibility to collaborate with stakeholders to harness and amplify the opportunities available within their jurisdiction to develop more innovative and equitable community food systems.

“There is no one-size-fits-all approach to food systems planning,” she says. “Each community’s opportunities and challenges are unique. Building community trust, designing inclusive planning processes, and conducting contextually scoped community food system assessments that center smallholder farmers’ experiences are key to planning, strengthening, and leveraging food systems for community well-being in low- and middle-income countries.”

The report was the result of a collaboration between FAO and UB, which have partnered to build the capacity of local governments to engage in food systems planning. UB began work with partners at FAO in 2016 with an expert summit focused on drawing attention to food in the New Urban Agenda, an initiative of the U.N. that aims for a better quality of life in the urbanizing world.

With support from FAO, researchers at the UB Food Lab are conducting transdisciplinary research in Ghana, India and Jamaica to document opportunities and challenges in planning for food systems, especially from the perspective of smallholder farmers.

“UB’s Community for Global Health Equity, which supports UB Food Lab’s global work, is committed to supporting those who most influence global food equity – leaders, organizations and policymakers who can affect systemic change,” said Venu Govindaraju, PhD, UB vice president for research and economic development.

“The FAO-UB partnership accelerates our faculty’s ability to translate their research in the domain of community food systems into policy and action,” Govindaraju added.

Revisiting Revitalization: Community Health Lessons from Baltimore’s Vacants to Value Initiative

By Yeeli Mui, PhD, MPH, University at Buffalo, State University of New York; Brian Bieretz, MA, Urban Institute; Joel Gittelsohn, PhD, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; Joseph Schilling, JD, LLM, Urban Institute

Neighborhoods undergo constant change when local governments, philanthropists, and community organizations invest resources to mitigate declining trajectories. The success of such efforts, however, is often measured in economic terms, such as through property value increases, with less attention to the health of residents who remain in the community.

This research aims to shift those priorities by examining a range of community health impacts from a strategic revitalization effort in Baltimore City: the Vacants to Value (V2V) initiative. While local studies have assessed some dimensions of the V2V initiative, including process and policy effectiveness, the initiative’s community health impacts have yet to be explored. To address this gap, the research team developed three case examples of V2V in different neighborhoods in order to examine communities’ expectations, engagement with V2V, and how community health could be better achieved. The report offers a preliminary scan of V2V’s community health impacts, to set the stage for a future Health Impact Assessment (HIA), a tool commonly used by planners and other decision-makers to evaluate potential positive and negative public health impacts of a plan, policy, or initiative.

This report includes five sections:

Section 1 provides a brief literature review on the relationships between vacant properties and community health, summarizes prior studies of the V2V initiative, and explains the usefulness of Health Impact Assessments in the context of neighborhood revitalization efforts.

Section 2 describes the methodology of this study.

Based on our cross-case analysis, Section 3 compares findings regarding V2V’s community health impacts across three communities.

Section 4 proposes a framework for a future Health Impact Assessment of new Community Development Clusters that V2V decision-makers can use before the start of revitalization efforts.

Section 5 offers recommendations to local government for strengthening V2V’s revitalization process by advancing community health in more place- and health-conscious ways in the future.

Finally, the Annex of the report includes a deep dive into community health lessons from Baltimore City’s V2V initiative in three different neighborhoods:

1. Restoring the Social Fabric: Challenges and Opportunities to Strengthen the Revitalization Process and Community Health in Park Heights, Baltimore

2. Community-Driven Revitalization: Building on Historic Strengths to Restore and Preserve Community Health in Eager Street Commons, Baltimore

3. Coalition of the Willing: Advancing Community Health Through Collaborative Revitalization in Greenmount West, Baltimore

Reflexive and Inclusive: Reimagining Local Government Engagement in Food Systems

The special issue was sponsored by Growing Food Connections, a national initiative that engages in research, education, and policy to strengthen community food systems.

Planning for Food Systems: Community-University partnerships for Food-Systems Transformation

Jennifer R. Whittaker, Jill K. Clark, Sarah SanGiovannni, Samina Raja

The United Nations estimates that by 2050, more than 70% of the world’s population will live in urban areas. In the face of continuing urbanization, how will communities meet the fundamental need for good food? What kinds of public policies, structures, and systems will ensure equitable and just access to food? We argue that urban universities have a responsibility and an extraordinary opportunity to help create equitable community food systems by amplifying community-led planning and policy to strengthen such systems. Drawing on case studies involving the University at Buffalo State University of New York system and its community partners, we describe the ways in which community-university partnerships can leverage policy change to support stronger food systems.

Read Online: https://journals.iupui.edu/index.php/muj/article/view/21471

Plans, Policy Briefs, and Policy Reports

If you would like an electronic copy of any of these publications, please email us at foodsystems@ap.buffalo.edu.

Raja, Samina, So-Ra Baek, Bumjoon Kang, Elizabeth Machnica, Nathan Attard, Maryam Khojasteh, Samantha Bulkilvish, Jeanne Leccese, Chunyuan Diao, Hailey Stern, and Abdulrahman Ibrahim. 2016. “Moving Together: Promoting Active Commuting to School in the Sweet Home Central School District and the Town of Amherst.” Department of Urban and Regional Planning, School of Architecture and Planning, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York. 131p.
Raj, Subhashni and Samina Raja. “Agrarian Values and Urban Futures: Challenges and Opportunities for Agriculture and Food Security in Doña Ana County, New Mexico.” In Exploring Stories of Opportunity. Edited by Samina Raja, 14 pages. Buffalo: Growing Food Connections Project, 2018.
Hall, Enjoli and Samina Raja. “Seeding Food Justice: Community-Led Practices for Local Government Policy in Dougherty County, Georgia.” In Exploring Stories of Opportunity. Edited by Samina Raja, 20 pages. Buffalo: Growing Food Connections Project, 2018.
Hall, Enjoli and Samina Raja. “Towards Health Equity in the Heartland: Advancing Community-Led Food Planning in Douglas County, Nebraska.” In Exploring Stories of Opportunity. Edited by Samina Raja, 10 pages. Buffalo: Growing Food Connections Project, 2018.
Raj, Subhashni, Joseph E. Quinn, and Samina Raja. “Supporting the Chile Capital of the Southwest: The Role of Local Government in Sustaining Farming Traditions in Luna County, New Mexico.” In Exploring Stories of Opportunity. Edited by Samina Raja, 13 pages. Buffalo: Growing Food Connections Project, 2018.
Hodgson, Kimberly, and Kelley Mosher. 2016. Private-Public Partnerships: Cornerstone of Food Systems Planning and Policy in Rural Marquette County, Michigan. Edited by Samina Raja and Kimberly Hodgson. Exploring Stories of Innovation: Growing Food Connections Project.
Hodgson, Kimberly, and Kara Martin. 2016. Building from the Inside Out in Region 5, Minnesota: A Rural Region’s Effort to Build a Resilient Food System. In Kimberly Hodgson & Samina Raja (Eds.), Exploring Stories of Innovation: Growing Food Connections Project.
Whittaker, Jennifer, Samina Raja, Danielle Vazquez, Elizabeth Machnica, Hijab Khan, Abdulrahman Ibrahim, and Nathan Attard. 2016. Buffalo Neighborhood Food Project: Final Evaluation Report.
Whittaker, Jennifer, and Samina Raja. 2016. Bridging Divides: Opportunities for Connecting Farmers and Underserved Consumers in Chautauqua County, New York. In Samina Raja (Ed.), Exploring Stories of Opportunity: Growing Food Connections.
Raj, Subhashni, and Samina Raja. 2016. Growing a Local Food Economy for a Healthy Wyandotte. In Samina Raja and Jeanne. Leccese (Eds.), Exploring Stories of Opportunity: Growing Food Connections.
Dillemuth, Ann, and Kimberley Hodgson. 2016. Incentivizing the Sale of Healthy and Local Food. In Samina Raja & Kimberley Hodgson (Eds.), Planning and Policy Briefs: Growing Food Connections
Hodgson, Kimberley, and Zsuzsi Fodor. 2016. “Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: A Mayor’s Office and Health Department Lead the Way in Municipal Food Policymaking.” In Exploring Stories of Innovation, edited by Kimberley Hodgson and Samina Raja, 3. Growing Food Connections Project.
Whitton, Elizabeth, Jeanne Leccese, and Kimberley Hodgson. 2015. “A Food in All Policies Approach in a Post-Industrial City: Baltimore City, MD.” In Exploring Stories of Innovation, edited by Kimberley Hodgson and Samina Raja, 3. Growing Food Connections Project.
Hodgson, Kimberley, Zsuzsi Fodor, and Maryam Khojasteh. 2015. “Multi-level Governmental Support Paves the Way for Local Food in Chittenden County, Vermont.” In Exploring Stories of Innovation, edited by Kimberley Hodgson and Samina Raja, 5. Growing Food Connections Project.
Hodgson, Kimberley, and Zsuzsi Fodor. 2015. “Mayoral Leadership Sparks Lasting Food Systems Policy Change in Minneapolis, Minnesota.” In Exploring Stories of Innovation, edited by Kimberley Hodgson and Samina Raja, 3. Growing Food Connections Project.
Hodgson, Kimberley. 2015. “Advancing Local Food Policy in a Changing Political Climate: Cabarrus County, NC.” In Exploring Stories of Innovation, edited by Kimberley Hodgson and Samina Raja, 3. Growing Food Connections Project.
Fodor, Zsuzsi, and Kimberley Hodgson. 2015. “Cleveland, Ohio: A Local Government’s Transition from an Urban Agriculture Focus to a Comprehensive Food Systems Policy Approach.” In Exploring Stories of Innovation, edited by Kimberley Hodgson and Samina Raja, 3. Growing Food Connections Project.
Whittaker, J and Samina Raja. 2015. How Food Policy Emerges: Research Suggests Community-Led Practice Shapes Policy . Translating Research for Policy Series, edited by Samina Raja and Jeanne Leccese. Growing Food Connections Project, June 2015.
Raja, Samina, Jessica Hall, J. Travis Norton, Patrick Gooch, Subhashni Raj, Taylor Hawes, and Jennifer Whittaker. 2014. Growing Together: Ensuring healthy food, strong farms, and a prosperous Buffalo Niagara. Buffalo, NY: The State University of New York at Buffalo Food Systems Planning and Healthy Communities Lab and University at Buffalo Regional Institute.
Delgado, Cristina, Travis Norton and Samina Raja. 2013. Indicators for a Healthy Food and Built Environment in the City of Buffalo. In Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities-Buffalo Policy Briefs, edited by Samina Raja. Healthy Kids-Healthy Communities-Buffalo partnership and the Food Systems Planning and Healthy Communities Lab, University at Buffalo. 20 p.
Neuner, Kailee. 2012. Transforming Active Living Policy in Practice: Municipal Best Practices. In Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities-Buffalo Policy Briefs, edited by Samina Raja. Healthy Kids-Healthy Communities-Buffalo partnership and the Food Systems Planning and Healthy Communities Lab, University at Buffalo. 27 p.
Neuner, Kailee, Patrick Gooch and Samina Raja. 2012. Buffalo’s Food System: An Assessment of Current, Municipal, County, and State Policies that Regulate Buffalo’s Food System. In Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities-Buffalo Policy Briefs, edited by Samina Raja. Healthy Kids-Healthy Communities-Buffalo partnership and the Food Systems Planning and Healthy Communities Lab, University at Buffalo. 41 p.
Neuner, Kailee, Jessica Hall, and Samina Raja. 2012a. Children’s Health: A Growing Need to Incorporate Physical Activity into the Daily Lives of Youth. In Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities-Buffalo Policy Briefs, edited by Samina Raja. Healthy Kids-Healthy Communities-Buffalo partnership and the Food Systems Planning and Healthy Communities Lab, University at Buffalo.
Neuner, Kailee and Jessica Hall. 2012. Do Kids Want to Play in the Queen City? Buffalo’s Built Environment and its Impact on Youth Physical Activity. In Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities-Buffalo Policy Briefs, edited by Samina Raja. Healthy Kids-Healthy Communities-Buffalo partnership and the Food Systems Planning and Healthy Communities Lab, University at Buffalo. 24 p.
Raja, Samina, Cristina Delgado, Subhashni Raj, and Sylvia Kelly. 2012. Community Design and Health: Summary of Findings from Recent Research. Report to Planning for Healthy Places Program, Public Health Law & Policy. The Food Systems Planning and Healthy Communities Lab, University at Buffalo. 29 p.
Raja, Samina, Kailee Neuner,and Sylvia Kelly. 2011. Buffalo Grown: Empowering Food Citizens, One Youth at a Time. Evaluation report submitted to the United States Department of Agriculture and the Massachusetts Avenue project. The Food Systems Planning and Healthy Communities Lab, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY. 16 p.
Neuner, Kailee, Sylvia Kelly, and Samina Raja. 2011. Strengthening Buffalo’s Food System to Promote Healthy Eating Among Children. In Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities-Buffalo Policy Briefs, edited by Samina Raja. Healthy Kids-Healthy Communities-Buffalo Partnership and the Food Systems Planning and Healthy Communities Lab, University at Buffalo. 38 p.
Neuner, Kailee, Sylvia Kelly, and Samina Raja. 2011. Planning to Eat? Innovative Local Government Policies and Plans to Build Healthy Food Systems in the United States. In Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities-Buffalo Policy Briefs, edited by Samina Raja. Healthy Kids-Healthy Communities-Buffalo Partnership and the Food Systems Planning and Healthy Communities Lab, University at Buffalo. 38 p.
Neuner, Kailee, and Samina Raja. 2010. Healthy Eating and Active Living for Children in the City of Buffalo. In Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities-Buffalo Policy Briefs, edited by Samina Raja. Healthy Kids-Healthy Communities-Buffalo Partnership and the Food Systems Planning and Healthy Communities Lab, University at Buffalo. 7 p.
Raja, Samina. 2008. Metaevaluation of traditional fiscal impact analysis: Criteria and procedures. Prepared for the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. 48 p.
Raja, Samina, Jack Huddleston, and Pavan Yadav. 2008. Planning for Sustainable Growth: Fiscal Trends and Prospects for Clarence, New York. Report prepared for the Town of Clarence, New York.
Raja, Samina. 2007. Growing Green: Empowering Youth, Transforming Neighborhood Food Systems. Prepared for the Massachusetts Avenue Project and the United States Department of Agriculture. December 30, 2007.
Raja, Samina and Angelika Breinlich. 2007. Designing Healthy Communities, One School at a Time. Prepared for the Healthy Eating by Design-Buffalo project of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Raja, Samina. 2006. Impacts of Demographic Change on the Fiscal Health of U.S. Local Governments: Issues and Prospects. Background Paper series. Prepared for the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. 36 p.
Raja, Samina. 2006. Growing Green: Interim Evaluation Report. Prepared for the Massachusetts Avenue Project and the United States Department of Agriculture. December 30, 2006.
APA’s Food System Planning Committee. 2006. “Food System Planning.” A White Paper prepared for the American Planning Association’s Legislative and Policy Committee. Members of APA’s Food System Planning Committee are (in alphabetical order): Born, Branden, Andy Fisher, Deanna Glosser, Jerome Kaufman, Wendy Mendes, Hubert Morgan, Mark A. Olinger, Kami Pothukuchi, and Samina Raja
Raja, Samina. 2005. Growing Green: An Evaluation of a Community Food Security Project. Prepared for the Massachusetts Avenue Project and the United States Department of Agriculture. December 30, 2005.
Taylor, Henry, Sam Cole, Richard Milgrom and Samina Raja. 2003. Fruit Belt/Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus Tax Increment Financing District. Prepared for the City of Buffalo. Buffalo, NY: Center of Urban Studies, University at Buffalo.
Stevens, Mark and Samina Raja. 2001. What’s Eating You About What You Eat? Results from a survey of Madison Area residents regarding their likes and concerns about the local food system. Madison Food System Working Paper Series Number 5, 2001. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Raja, Samina. 2000. Preserving Community Gardens in a Growing Community: A Report on the Community Gardens Planning Process in Madison, Wisconsin. Madison Food System Working Paper Series Number 4. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin-Madison. [Based on a report originally prepared by author for the City of Madison in July 1999; Recommendations from the report were adopted in the City of Madison’s 2006 Comprehensive Plan.]
Raja, Samina. 1999. Growing a Stronger Community with Community Gardens: An Action Plan for Madison. Prepared for and adopted by the City of Madison. Madison, Wisconsin: City of Madison Advisory Committee on Community Gardens. First municipally-adopted plan to create and sustain community gardens in the United States.
Raja, Samina. 1999. An Annotated Bibliography of the Dane County Food System. Madison Food System Working Paper Series Number 3, 1999. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Huddleston, Jack and Samina Raja. 1999. The Economic Impact of Dane County Regional County Airport. Report prepared for the Dane County Airport Commission. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Articles, Book Chapters, and Books

If you would like a copy of any of these publications, please email us at foodsystems@ap.buffalo.edu.

Journal Articles

Raja, Samina. 2023. Flooded by Bad Ideas: How Acontextual Planning Imperils Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir. Invited article for Wrestling with Context (editors Neema Kudva and John Forester), Planning Theory and Practice, 17-21. DOI: 10.1080/14649357.2023.2256185
Leone LA, Kasprzak C, Lally A, Haynes-Maslow L, Vermont LN, Horrigan-Maurer C, Tumiel-Berhalter L, Ammerman A, Raja S. A Novel Process to Recruit and Select Community Partners for a Hybrid Implementation-Effectiveness Study. Prog Community Health Partnersh. 2023;17(1):159-171. doi: 10.1353/cpr.2023.0021. PMID: 37462585; PMCID: PMC10569409.
Samina Raja, Athar Parvaiz, Lanika Sanders, Alexandra Judelsohn, Shireen Guru, Mona Bhan, Goldie Osuri, Mehroosh Tak, Yeeli Mui & Emmanuel Frimpong Boamah. 2023. “Planning and Food Sovereignty in Conflict Cities.”Journal of the American Planning Association, 89:2, 183-195, DOI: 10.1080/01944363.2022.2072370
Brinkley, C., Raj, S., & Raja, S. (2023). Planning for FEWsheds: The Role of Planning in Integrating and Strengthening Food, Energy and Water Systems. Journal of Planning Literature, 38(1), 33-58. https://doi.org/10.1177/08854122221093387
Lucia Leone, Lindsey Haynes-Maslow, Christina Kasprzak, Samina Raja, and Leonard H. Epstein. 2021. “The WIC Shopping Experience: A Qualitative Study Examining Retail-based Strategies to Increase WIC Retention and Redemption Rates”, Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition.
Mui, Y., Headrick, G., Raja, S., Palmer, A., Ehsani, J., & Pollack Porter, K. (2022). Acquisition, mobility and food insecurity: Integrated food systems opportunities across urbanicity levels highlighted by COVID-19. Public Health Nutrition, 25(1), 114-118. doi:10.1017/S1368980021002755
Kasprzak, C. M., Lally, A. E., Schoonover, J. J., Gallicchio, D., Haynes-Maslow, L., Vermont, L. N., Ammerman, A. S., Raja, S., Tumiel-Berhalter, L., Tirabassi, J. N., & Leone, L. A. 2022. Operational challenges that may affect implementation of evidence-based mobile market interventions. BMC Public Health, 22(1), 776–776. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-13207-8
Vermont, L. N., Kasprzak, C., Lally, A., Claudio, A., Tumiel-Berhalter, L., Haynes-Maslow, L., Ammerman, A., Raja, S., & Leone, L. A. 2022. A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Research-Tested Mobile Produce Market Model Designed to Improve Diet in Under-Resourced Communities: Rationale and Design for the Veggie Van Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(16), 9832–. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19169832
Kasprzak, C., Schoonover, J., Gallicchio, D., Haynes-Maslow, L., Vermont, L., Ammerman, A., Raja, S., Tumiel-Berhalter, L., & Leone, L. (2021). “Using common practices to establish a framework for mobile produce markets in the United States.” Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 10(4), 73–84. https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2021.104.029
Mui, Yeeli, Maryam Khojasteh, Alexandra Judelsohn, Avery Sirwatka, Sylvia Kelly, Patrick Gooch, and Samina Raja. 2021. “Planning for Regional Food Equity.” Journal of the American Planning Association, 1-16.
Clark, Jill K., Brian Conley, Samina Raja. 2020. “Essential, fragile, and invisible community food infrastructure: The Role of Urban Governments in the United States.” Food Policy, 102014.
Frimpong Boamah, Emmanuel, James Sumberg, and Samina Raja. 2020. “Farming within a Dual Legal Land System: An Argument for Emancipatory Food Systems Planning in Accra, Ghana.” Land Use Policy, 92, 104391.
Judelsohn, Alexandra, Heather Orom, Daniela Leon, and Samina Raja. 2020. “Refuge in New Food Environments: The Role of Urban Planning in Facilitating Food Equity for New Americans.” Special Issue on Refugee in the City. Journal of Urban Affairs, 1-18.
Raja, Samina. 2020. “Planning and Pandemics: COVID 19 Illuminates Why Urban Planners Should Have listened to Food Advocates all Along.” Invited article for the Special Collection: Agriculture, Food, & COVID-19. Agriculture and Human Values, 37, 553–554.
Biehl, Erin, Sarah Buzogany, Kristin Baja, and Roni A. Neff. 2018. “Planning for a resilient urban food system: A case study from Baltimore City, Maryland.” Special Issue on Local Government in Food Systems Work. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 8(Suppl. 2), 39-53.
Freudenberg, Nicholas, Craig Willingham, and Nevin Cohen. 2018. “The role of metrics in food policy: Lessons from a decade of experience in New York City.” Special Issue on Local Government in Food Systems Work. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 8(Suppl. 2), 191-209.
Gilbert, Jessica L., Alexandra E. Schnidel, and Sarah A. Robert. 2018. “Just transitions in a public school food system: The case of Buffalo, New York.” Special Issue on Local Government in Food Systems Work. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 8(Suppl. 2), 95-113.
Gold, Abby, and Noelle Harden. 2018. “Navigating borders: The evolution of the Cass Clay Food Partners.” Special Issue on Local Government in Food Systems Work. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 8(Suppl. 2), 29-38.
Gupta, Clare, Dave Campbell, Kate Munden-Dixon, Jennifer Sowerwine, Shosha Capps, Gail Feenstra, and Julia Van Soelen Kim. 2018. “Food policy councils and local governments: Creating effective collaboration for food systems change.” Special Issue on Local Government in Food Systems Work. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 8(Suppl. 2), 11-28.
Haines, Anna L. 2018. “What does zoning have to do with local food systems?” Special Issue on Local Government in Food Systems Work. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 8(Suppl. 2), 175-190.
Lavallée-Picard, Virginie. 2018. “Growing in the city: Expanding opportunities for urban food production in Victoria, Canada.” Special Issue on Local Government in Food Systems Work. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 8(Suppl. 2), 157-173.
Mui, Yeeli, Maryam Khojasteh, Kimberley Hodgson, and Samina Raja. 2018. “Rejoining the planning and public health fields: Leveraging comprehensive plans to strengthen food systems in an urban versus rural jurisdiction.” Special Issue on Local Government in Food Systems Work. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 8(Suppl. 2), 73-93.
Mulligan, Kate, Lauren E. Baker, Sarah Elton, and Donald C. Cole. 2018. “Toronto municipal staff and policy-makers’ views on urban agriculture and health: A qualitative study.” Special Issue on Local Government in Food Systems Work. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 8(Suppl. 2), 133-156.
Otten, Jennifer J., Sara Diedrich, Katherine Getts, and Christine Benson. 2018. “Commercial and anti-hunger sector views on local government strategies for helping to manage food waste.” Special Issue on Local Government in Food Systems Work. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 8(Suppl. 2), 55-72.
Raja, Samina, Jill K. Clark, Julia Freedgood, and Kimberley Hodgson. 2018. “Reflexive and inclusive: Reimagining local government engagement in food systems.” Special Issue on Local Government in Food Systems Work. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 8(Suppl. 2), 1–10.
Reece, Jason. 2018. “Seeking food justice and a just city through local action in food systems: Opportunities, challenges, and transformation.” Special Issue on Local Government in Food Systems Work. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 8(Suppl. 2), 211-215.
Robert, Naomi, and Kent Mullinix. 2018. “Municipal policy enabling regional food systems in British Columbia, Canada: Assessing focal areas and gaps.” Special Issue on Local Government in Food Systems Work. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 8(Suppl. 2), 115-132.
Raja, Samina and Jennifer Whittaker. 2018. “Community Food Infrastructure: A Vital Consideration for Planning Healthy Communities.” In Healthy Environments, Healing Spaces: Current Practice and Future Directions in Health and Design. Edited by Timothy Beatley, Carla Jones and Reuben Rainey. University of Virginia Press.
Raja, Samina, Jennifer Whittaker, Enjoli Hall, Kimberley Hodgson, Maryam Khojasteh, and Jeanne Leccese. 2018. “Growing Food Connections through Planning: Lessons from the United States.” In Integrating Food into Urban Planning. United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and University College London (UCL) Press.
Brinkley, Catherine, Subhasni Raj, and Megan Horst. 2017. “Culturing Food Deserts: Recognizing the Power of Community-Based Solutions.” Special Issue on Planning for Equitable Urban and Regional Food Systems. Built Environment 43 (3):328-342.
Clark, Jill K., Caitlin Marquis, and Samina Raja. 2017. “The Local Food Policy Audit: Spanning the Civic-Political Agrifood Divide.” In A. Blay-Palmer, I. Knezevic, C. Levkoe, P. Mount, and E. Nelson (Eds): Nourishing Communities: From Fractured Food Systems to Transformative Pathways. Springer.
Clark, Jill K., Julia Freedgood, Aiden Irish, Kimberley Hodgson, and Samina Raja. 2017. “Fail to Include, Plan to Exclude: Reflections on Local Governments’ Readiness for Building Equitable Community Food Systems.” Special Issue on Planning for Equitable Urban and Regional Food Systems. Built Environment 43 (3):315-327
Judelsohn, Alexandra, Heather Orom, Isok Kim, Aye Bay Na Sa, Hijab Khan, Rosie Devito, Roberto O Diaz Del Carpio, and Samina Raja. 2017. “Planning the City of Good (and New) Neighbours: Refugees’ Experiences of the Food Environment in Buffalo, NY.” Special Issue on Planning for Equitable Urban and Regional Food Systems. Built Environment 43 (3):402-416.
Raja, Samina, Kevin Morgan, and Enjoli Hall. 2017. “Planning for Equitable Urban and Regional Food Systems.” Editorial. Special Issue on Planning for Equitable Urban and Regional Food Systems. Built Environment 43 (3):309-314.
Raja, Samina, Subhashni Raj, and Bartholomew Roberts. 2017. The US Experience in Planning for Community Food Systems: An Era of Advocacy, Awareness, and (Some) Learning. In A. Blay-Palmer, I. Knezevic, C. Levkoe, P. Mount, and E. Nelson (Eds): Nourishing Communities: From Fractured Food Systems to Transformative Pathways. Springer.
Whittaker, Jennifer, Samina Raja, Jill Clark, and Sarah Sangiovanni. 2017. “Planning for Food Systems: Community-University Partnerships for Food Systems Transformations.” Special issue on urban food systems. Metro Universities.
Baek, So-Ra, Samina Raja, Nathan Attard, Maryam Khojasteh. 2016. “Acculturating into (In)active Commuting to School: Differences between Children of Foreign-Born and U.S. – Born Caregivers.” Children, Youth, and Environments, 26(1).
Clark, Jill, Molly Bean Smith, Samina Raja, Scott Loveridge, Julia Freedgood, and Kimberley Hodgson. 2016. “Cooperative Extension and Food System Change – Goals, Strategies and Resources.” Agriculture & Human Values.
Horst, Megan, Subhashni Raj, and Catherine Brinkley. 2016. “Getting Outside the Supermarket Box: Alternatives to “Food Deserts” in Portland, Oregon.” Progressive Planner.
Khojasteh, Maryam, and Samina Raja. 2016. “Agents of Change: The Role of Immigrants in Creating Healthier Food Environments.” Journal of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition.
Raj, Subhashni, Samina Raja, and Bree-Ana Dukes. 2016. “Beneficial but Constrained: Impact of urban agriculture on consumption of fruits and vegetables among youth.” Journal of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition.
Raj, Subhashni. 2016. “Growing Food Connections.” In Growing Livelihoods: Local Food Systems and Community Development, edited by Rhonda Phillips and Chris Wharton. Taylor and Francis.
Raja, Samina and Chunyuan Diao. 2016. Community-Led Urban Agriculture Policy: A View from the United States. Urban Agriculture Magazine, 31:18-24.
Raja, Samina, Femke Hoekstra, Cecilia Delgado, and Rene van Veenhuizen. 2016. Editorial: Community Involvement in Urban Planning and Policy Development to Strengthen City and Regional Food Systems. Urban Agriculture Magazine. 31:4-9.
Raja, Samina, Jennifer Whittaker, Enjoli Hall, Kimberley Hodgson, Maryam Khojasteh, and Jeanne Leccese. 2016. “Growing Food Connections through Urban Planning: Lessons from the United States.” In Integrating Food Into Urban Planning. Rome, Italy: United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Whittaker, Jennifer. 2016. Slow and Steady: Emergence of Urban Agriculture Policy in Buffalo, NY. Urban Agriculture Magazine, 31.
Baek, Solhyon, Samina Raja, Jiyoung Park, Leonard Epstein, Li Yin, and James Roemmich. 2015. Park Design and Children’s Active Play: A Micro-Scale Spatial Analysis of Intensity of Play in Olmsted’s Delaware Park. Environment and Planning B.
Raja, Samina, Justin Booth, J Travis Norton, Beverly Crowell, Jessie Gouck, and Kari Bonaro. 2015. “Promoting active commuting to school through environmental and policy supports in Buffalo, New York.” Journal of Public Health Management and Practice 21:S110-S115.
Raja, Samina, Justin Booth, J. Travis Norton, Beverly Crowell, Jessie Hersher Gouck, and Kari Bonaro. 2015. “Promoting Active Commuting to School through Environmental and Policy Supports in Buffalo, New York.” Public Health Management and Practice. 21:S110-S115, May/June 2015
Raja, Samina, Diane Picard, Solhyon Baek, and Cristina Delgado. 2014. Rustbelt Radicalism: A Decade of Food Systems Planning Practice in Buffalo, NY. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development. 4(4): 173-189.
Feda, Denise, April Seelbinder, Solhyon Baek, Samina Raja, Li Yin, and James N Roemmich. 2014. “Neighbourhood Parks and Reduction in Stress among Adolescents: Results from Buffalo, New York.” Indoor and Built Environment.
Yin, Li, Samina Raja, Xiao Li, Yuan Lai, Leonard Epstein, and James Roemmich. 2013. “Neighborhood for Playing: Using GPS, GIS, and Accelerometry to Delineate Areas within which Youth are Physically Active.” Urban Studies. 50(14): 1-18.
Raja, Samina. 2013. “A Review of “Sustainable Food Planning: Evolving Theory and Practice.” Journal of the American Planning Association. 79(3):3-4.
Epstein, Leonard, Samina Raja, Tinuke Oluyomi Daniel, Rocco A. Paluch, Denise E. Wilfley, Brian E. Saelens, and James N.
Roemmich, Ph.D. 2012. “The Built Environment Moderates Effects of Family-Based Childhood Obesity Treatment over 2 Years.” Annals of Behavioral Medicine. 44(2): 248-58.
Raja, Samina, Li Yin, James Roemmich, Changxing Ma, Leonard Epstein, and Pavan Yadav. 2010. “Food environment, built environment, and women’s BMI: Evidence from Erie County, New York.” Journal of Planning Education and Research. 29: 444-460.
Raja, Samina, Angelika Breinlich, and Aidan Kallas. 2010. “Partnerships to Promote Healthy Eating in School Environments: Lessons from Buffalo, New York: Lessons from Buffalo, New York.” Children, Youth, and Environment. 20(2), 2010.
Raja, Samina and Niraj Verma. 2010. “Got perspective? A Justification for Planning Theory.” Planning Theory. 9(2):126-136. Invited paper for a special issue on planning theory edited by Dr. Ernest Alexander.
Ventura, Steve, Math Heinzel, and Samina Raja. 2010. “Planning Analyst Module 3: Allocate Making Place-based Decisions.” Chapter 16 in Niemann, B., David Moyer, Stephen Ventura, Richard Chenoweth, and Douglas Miskowiak (eds.) Citizen Planners: Shaping Communities with Spatial Tools. ESRI Press.
Raja, Samina, Michael Ball, Justin Booth, Philip Haberstro, and Katherine Veith. 2009. “Leveraging neighborhood-scale change for policy and program reform in Buffalo, New York.” Special issue on Active Living by Design. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 37 (6S).
Raja, Samina, Changxing Ma, and Pavan Yadav. 2008. “Beyond food deserts: Measuring and mapping racial disparities in the food environment.” Journal of Planning Education and Research. 27 (4): 469-482. Included in ‘Editors’ Picks’ column of the Environment: Science and policy for Sustainable Development journal (Sep/Oct 2008).
Roemmich, James, Leonard Epstein, Samina Raja, and Li Yin. 2007. “The neighborhood and home environments: Disparate relationships with physical activity and sedentary behaviors in youth.” Annals of Behavioral Medicine. 33 (1): 29-38.
Raja, Samina. 2006. Kashmir. “Flashpoints in the War on Terrorism.” In Derek Reveron and Jeffrey Murer (eds.) New York, NY: Routledge. pp. 178-198.
Epstein, Leonard, Elizabeth Handley, Kelly K. Dearing, David D. Cho, James Roemmich, Rocco Paluch, Samina Raja, Youngju Pak, and Bonnie Spring. 2006. “Purchases of food in youth: Influence of Price and Income.” Psychological Science 17 (1): 82-89.
Roemmich, James, Leonard Epstein, Samina Raja, Li Yin, Jodie Robinson, and Dana Winiewicz. 2006. “Association of access to parks and recreational facilities with the physical activity of young children.” Preventive Medicine, 43(6): 437-441.
Raja, Samina. 2006. “Seeking Common Ground in Smart Growth and Food System Planning: Lessons from the Food for Growth Studio.” In Teaching Smart Growth at Colleges and Universities: A Set of Model Course Prospectuses. US Environmental Planning Agency: http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/courses/Raja.pdf.
Epstein, Leonard, Samina Raja, Sam Gold, Rocky Paluch, and James Roemmich. 2006. “Reducing Sedentary Behavior: The Relationship Between Park Area and the Physical Activity of Youth.” Psychological Science. 17 (8):654-659.
Raja, Samina. 2005. “Site-Value Taxation.” In Roger Caves (Ed). Encyclopedia of the City. London, UK: Routledge. p. 407.

Journal Special Issues Guest Edited

Raja, Samina, Jill Clark, Julia Freedgood, and Kimberley Hodgson (Guest Editors). 2018. Special Issue on Local Government in Food Systems Work. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development. 8 (Supplement 2), October 2018.
Raja, Samina, Kevin Morgan, and Enjoli Hall (Guest Editors). 2017. Special Issue on Planning for Equitable Urban and Regional Food Systems. Built Environment. 43 (3).

Books and Monographs

Raja, Samina, Erin Sweeney, Yeeli Mui, and Emmanuel Frimpong Boamah. 2021. Local Government Planning for Community Food Systems: Opportunity, Innovation, and Equity. Food and Agriculture Organization.
World Health Organization. 2018. WHO Housing and Health Guidelines. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization. [Role: Member, Guideline Development Group]
The National Academies Committee on Health Impact Assessment. 2011. Improving Health in the United States: The Role of Health Impact Assessment. The National Academies Press, Washington, DC. Forthcoming. [Committee members and authors: D. Bear, R. Bhatia, S. Cantor, B. Cave, A. Diez Roux, C. Dora, J. Fielding, J Graff Zivin, Richard Jackson (Chair), J. Levy, J. Quint, S. Raja, A. Schulz, and A. Wernham.]
Raja, Samina, Branden Born, and Jessica Kozlowski Russell. 2008. A Planners’ Guide to Community and Regional Food Planning: Transforming Food Environments, Building Healthy Communities. Planning Advisory Service (PAS) Series, No. 554. Chicago, Illinois: American Planning Association. 112 p.
Raja, Samina, Marcia Caton Campbell, Alexandra Judelsohn, Branden Born, and Alfonso Morales (eds). Planning for Equitable Urban Agriculture in the USA: A New Ethic in City Building. Springer Press. Forthcoming (expected April 2024).

Book Reviews

1. Raja, Samina. 2013. “A Review of Sustainable Food Planning: Evolving Theory and Practice.” Journal of the American Planning Association 79(30):3-4.

Articles in Popular Press and Other Venues

Raja, Samina and Robert Shibley. “Standing in Unity and Action: Black Lives Matter.” June 20, 2020.
Raja, Samina, and Chunyuan Diao. 2016. “A Community-Led View of Urban Agriculture Policy Making.” Urban Agriculture Magazine 31.
Raja, Samina, Femke Hoekstra, and Rene Veenhuizen. 2016. “Editorial. Giving Space to Use Urban Space: Community Involvement in Urban Planning and Policy Development to Strengthen Urban Food Systems.” Urban Agriculture Magazine 31.
Raja, Samina. 2015. “Why all Cities should have a Department of Food.” The Conversation. April 3, 2015.
Raja, Samina and Heather Wooten. 2010. “Food systems planning – an opportunity for planners in private practice.” Newsletter, Private Practice Division, American Planning Association.
Raja, Samina. 2008. “Food for Thought” Final Word. UB Today.
Raja, Samina. 2008. Section in an article titled “A question for the boss: What questions should employees ask themselves about the health of their workforce?” Impact: Improving Health for Population and Individuals. School of Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, Newsletter. April 2008.
Breinlich, Angelika and Samina Raja. 2006. “Sometimes applesauce is about more than just apples.” Buffalo Rising, Online Magazine. November 2006.
Raja, Samina. 2005b. “Food for Growth” Intersight: Journal of the School of Architecture and Planning, 8 (2005): 112-117.

Non-peer Reviewed Articles

Raja, Samina and Heather Wooten. 2010. “Food systems planning – an opportunity for planners in private practice.” Newsletter, Private Practice Division, American Planning Association.
Raja, Samina. 2005b. “Food for Growth” Intersight: Journal of the School of Architecture and Planning, 8 (2005): 112-117.