A STUDY ON UTILIZATION OF COLLECTIVE MOBILE FOOD UNITS

Abstract

This study investigates the current conditions and features of “Food Cart Pod (POD)”, a cluster of mobile food units, in Portland, Oregon, and explores their utilization. PODs that have the advantages of semi-permanent land uses and have been formed by the combination of regulations, operations, and urban spaces have the potentials of 1) supplementing eating facilities in short supply, 2) creating destinations by utilizing underutilized properties, 3) utilizing empty lands caused by phased urban development, and 4) strategically activating public spaces. In contrast, the challenges include the provision of infrastructure and the development of regulatory systems tailored to their purposes.