SITE SUITABILITY ANALYSIS FOR NEW GROCERY STORE LOCATIONS WITHIN BALTIMORE CITY, MARYLAND

Abstract

Food scarcity is a growing problem in the United States but is a considerable problem for low-income urban areas. These areas are more likely to fall into food deserts, where it is difficult to find healthy, affordable food. With approximately twenty percent of its residents living below the poverty line Baltimore City, Maryland, has a potentially severe problem as Baltimore has several food deserts. This study looks to find suitable locations within Baltimore to place a new grocery store. If there are suitable locations, the study will identify the demographics that would most benefit from the new potential sites. Utilizing zoning, vacant parcel size, and drive distance from existing grocers, a Boolean suitability analysis was conducted to identify all potentially suitable sites within city limits. Afterward, a weighted suitability analysis was conducted to determine the best location by utilizing population, income, and crime rate in Business Analyst. Only four sites were deemed suitable for a potential grocery store, with one site falling within existing food deserts and another adjacent to two food deserts. All the sites have 10,000 people within 1.3 miles of their location and serve primarily low-income neighborhoods. These results show there are potential sites that can enable a better, healthier Baltimore.