Activating Public Land to Promote Urban Agriculture for Community Health, Equity, and Resilience through a GIS Decision-Making Webtool

Abstract

This project aimed to tackle the challenge of identifying underutilized land suitable for urban agriculture in Los Angeles County by developing a web-based GIS tool. Leveraging Esri's ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Experience Builder, the team embarked on creating a comprehensive platform facilitating data analysis and interactive web experiences without the need for coding. The initiative aligned with Esri's mission of leveraging geographic information system (GIS) technology to create a more sustainable future, emphasizing the importance of spatial perspective in problem-solving. Utilizing the Composite Index framework within ArcGIS Pro, the project amalgamated multiple indicators, such as proximity to grocery stores and low-income communities, to assess urban agriculture suitability. This approach provided a robust methodology for synthesizing diverse data into a coherent framework, enhancing decision-making processes. The resulting web dashboard, developed using Experience Builder, provided users with a user-friendly interface to interact with parcel data, customize criteria, and obtain detailed information on selected parcels. This platform offered flexibility, enabling users to tailor criteria according to their use cases. The tool's efficacy was demonstrated through a user case example, showcasing how customized criteria influenced parcel evaluations. While approximately 300 suitable parcels were identified based on predefined criteria, the project encountered limitations such as the inability to ground-truth parcels and the exclusion of certain criteria like utility hookups and soil type. These limitations underscore the need for ongoing refinement and expansion of the tool to address broader challenges and ensure its relevance in diverse urban agriculture contexts. Future research directions include implementing vacant land tax models, assessing long-term site usability, and addressing broader challenges such as climate change adaptation and community health. These efforts are crucial for enhancing the tool's effectiveness and ensuring it aligns with evolving needs and priorities. In conclusion, the project represents a significant step towards supporting sustainable urban agriculture initiatives in Los Angeles County, offering a pivotal resource for stakeholders seeking to revitalize vacant parcels and promote regenerative agriculture in urban settings.