Team Name: APIcons
Team Members: Amia Graye, Julia Martin, Rosie Quint
Emails: agraye1@jhu.edu, jmart305@jh.edu, rquint1@jh.edu
JHED IDs: agraye1, jmart305, rquint1
This project investigates changes in food accessibility across different neighborhoods in Baltimore before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal is to create an interactive dashboard to classify neighborhoods as Healthy Food Priority Areas (HFPAs) based on data from the Open Baltimore API. Using this dashboard, users can explore food accessibility and demographic factors in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic and other socioeconomic variables.
- How has food accessibility changed across Baltimore neighborhoods since 2018?
- Which groups of people have easier or harder access to healthy food in Baltimore?
We adopt the criteria from the City of Baltimore's 2018 study to classify neighborhoods into three priority levels:
- High Priority: Meets all 4 criteria.
- Medium Priority: Meets 2 or 3 criteria.
- Low Priority: Meets 0 or 1 criteria.
We will explore whether neighborhoods previously identified as high priority remain so and investigate additional criteria, such as the percentage of residents receiving SNAP benefits.
Demographic analysis will compare age, race, and education levels across these priority levels using regression models to explore associations with food accessibility.
The project will culminate in an interactive RShiny dashboard where users can:
- View a map of Baltimore neighborhoods and their food accessibility status.
- Learn about the demographics of different neighborhoods and compare high, medium, and low priority areas.
- Input an address to find the nearest grocery store with nutritious food options.
This research aims to provide insights into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food accessibility in Baltimore. By identifying the neighborhoods most in need of improved access to healthy food, we hope to inform policy makers and support efforts toward creating a healthier Baltimore.