"You Are Where You Eat:" Reconnecting Birmingham, AL Residents to their Landscape through a Local Food Network

In an age of increasing globalization and expanding food distribution networks the distance between food sources and consumers is growing at an alarming rate. With this growing gap comes the increased separation of ties between citizens and the land on which they live. This research investigates the kinds of productive and distributive spaces that need to be integrated in order to implement a local food system for Birmingham, AL. It does this by means of design experimentation and layered mapping. Selected urban sites will be designed to begin the phased implementation of an interconnected, cohesive food network that both changes the way citizens relate to the land on which they live and surrounds them with fresh, quality food.