The New Jersey Institute of Technology's
Electronic Theses & Dissertations Project

Title:	Urban food entrepreneurship, governance, and economic development in the post-industrial cities of Newark, New Jersey and Dayton, Ohio
Author:	Jones, John C.
View Online:	njit-etd2018-036 (xxi, 347 pages ~ 5.1 MB pdf)
Department:	College of Architecture and Design
Degree:	Doctor of Philosophy
Program:	Urban Systems
Document Type:	Dissertation
Advisory Committee:	Franck, Karen A. (Committee chair) Lawson, Laura J. (Committee member) Schilling, Brian J. (Committee member) Stock, Richard (Committee member)
Date:	2018-08
Keywords:	Economic development Entrepreneurship Local food Post-industrial cities Urban food Urban food enterprises
Availability:	Unrestricted
Abstract:	The local governments of post-industrial cities in the US struggle to foster economic development and to find uses for underutilized or abandoned urban land and buildings. Partly in response to growing consumer interest in locally produced foods, food entrepreneurs are increasingly using these underutilized urban properties for farming or for producing value-added food products. However, sometimes intentionally and sometimes unintentionally, existing policies and regulatory regimes of local and state governments often restrict the ability of urban food entrepreneurs to grow. This dissertation documents urban food entrepreneurship in the post-industrial communities of greater Newark, New Jersey and greater Dayton, Ohio. The dissertation examines both: a) the characteristics of existing enterprises; and b) the network of laws, policies, regulations, and incentives that affect them. In both regions, entrepreneurs adapt vacant lots and former industrial and commercial buildings to produce a diversity of food products, including fruits and vegetables, gluten-free waffles, spice blends, beer, and wine. Entrepreneurs employ diverse organizational structures ranging from near hobby-level, informal enterprise to fully established for-profit businesses or non-profit organizations. In both regions, local government officials are cautiously supportive, an attitude that is tempered by restrictive regulations and policies. The dissertation concludes with a series of policy recommendations to local, and to a lesser extent state, governments interested in developing urban food entrepreneurship in their communities.