Measuring Food Supply Through Closeness and Betweenness

This article presents an approach to food procurement systems employing the concepts of closeness and betweenness. The objective is to define tools for measuring proximity related to food supply within dense urban contexts, where procurement is guaranteed but is still an essentiality that affects the quality of life of residents. This is due to the structured network that supports everyday movements, where food providers function as catalysts for the establishment of proximity routes. The research focuses on Barcelona’s metropolitan area, employing a quantitative methodology associated with mapping systems to study the spatial distribution of publicly managed halls and weekly open‐air markets, as well as the proximity service they offer in terms of relative distances and times. The results obtained demonstrate a novel approach to analyzing a territory based on its public food supply, transferable to other geographies. In contrast, a precise diagnosis of the metropolitan fabric studied is provided, highlighting vulnerabilities in the system and establishing a foundation for proposing new urban planning and design actions to address food supply

Closeness · Food supply · Metropolitan area · Procurement · Consumer Retail Behavior Studies · Organic Food and Agriculture · Urban Agriculture and Sustainability

• Why Is the Study of Food Environments Still Relevant

  Open Access•Claire Thompson, D Smith•Urban Planning•2025

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