FOOD PARK

by Mengying Ouyang (MAUD ’20) and Shi Tang (MLA II ’21)

Los Angeles County and Santa Monica have a history of agriculture, but food cultivation has been displaced largely to the Central Valley. The consequent trucking of food from the Valley and other places contributes to regional pollution and carbon imbalances, and creates food insecurity issues locally.

We propose a FOOD PARK that includes the whole system of food cultivation and distribution (food production, food processing, food retail, food education), negotiating and reviving the city’s historical agricultural identity while creating a place where agriculture and social uses intersect. Gradually FOOD PARK will take over more of the site, allowing local suppliers to meet growing demands and remaking a consumptive infrastructure into a productive, multifunctional hybrid that extends Santa Monica’s reputation as a foodie haven.