A farmers' market in a food desert : evaluating walkability and streetscape as factors of farmers' market effectiveness in food accessibility : the case of Farmers' Market East in Austin, Texas

Food deserts are defined by absence of large grocery stores to access affordable food that constitute a healthy diet resulting in high levels of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in the community. Farmers' markets have resulted as an approach to improving food accessibility in food deserts, however the lack of public transportation, incomplete sidewalks, and dilapidated streetscape in many American neighborhoods, can really affect farmers markets' usage. To answer this question, this research uses the Sustainable Food Center (SFC) Farmers Market East Austin as a case study area to investigate how built environment around the market affect its usage.