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Old Posted Mar 17, 2014, 3:23 PM
Tuckerman Tuckerman is offline
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Atlanta
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This is a fairly comprehensive article and describes the situation for many urban poor in Atlanta quite well. It should be noted that Atlanta also has some huge and comprehensive farmer's markets where thousands or people, rich and poor shop, notably Dekalb Int. Farmer's Market. But it is quite correct that many of these can only be reached by car or public transit. Density is one issue; the other is that in much of America the "local" neighborhood market has disappeared. In the mid century in the US, even in small towns there would be a small, but fairly comprehensive, food store (often run by a butcher or a green grocer) within a few minutes of walking, and quite often they would deliver directly to your house for a little fee. That pattern largely disappeared in the last quarter century.
Food stores are just one particular example; you could write the same story about dry clearers, shoe repair shops, hardware stores, photo shops, movie theaters, etc.

Neighborhood is just a concept and in some cities it is defined by the car. The real question is whether this pattern of growth and access to goods has essentially redefined the experience of poverty for those who are poor?
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