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DeKalb aims to reduce average distance to fresh food from about five miles with micro-mobility and partner sites
Summary
Officials said the county’s average distance to fresh food is about five miles and set a goal to close that gap within three years and reduce average distance to two miles within six years, using micro-mobility and repurposed grocery sites.
DeKalb County officials said the current average household distance to fresh food is roughly five miles and proposed a multi-year goal to shorten that distance using micro-mobility, partner grocery sites and recovered-food programs. The county’s sustainability official said improved last-mile options and repurposing closed retail sites are key parts of the strategy.
"Our goal within the next 3 years is to close that gap," the officer said, and added a longer-term aim to get average access to roughly two miles within six years. The officer cited micro-mobility providers such as Lime bikes and scooters as one tool to reduce travel time to transit and grocery services, and said the county will work with partners to identify closed grocery locations and support pantry or grocery reuses modeled on prior projects.
Officials emphasized that 'recoverable edible food' differs from spoiled food and pointed to business models that redistribute edible items that would otherwise be discarded under strict retailer expiration policies. No specific grant or funding sources were named during the briefing.
