Assessing the community food environment: Examining the impact of retail food availability and accessibility along travel routes for office workers in Polk County, Iowa

This research investigates spatial access to the food environment along work travel routes for a sample of office workers in Polk County, IA. It also evaluates Facilitated Volunteered Geographic Information (f-VGI) methodology as a tool for enhancing public participation, and for collecting user-generated spatial data on the food environment, especially along travel routes. Results of pilot testing of the f-VGI methodology demonstrate the importance of accurate and reliable measurement tools and techniques in food environment studies. It also underscores the value of participatory methodologies in accessing data to enable inclusionary decision-making in community planning and design.