Progression mechanism of urban food desert and categorization of high-risk blocks through the analysis of changes in food intake demand—A case study of Azabu and Takanawa districts of Minato-ku, Tokyo, where the prices of grocery stores is rising due to redevelopment

Abstract

We analyzed the mechanism of urban food desert expansion based on data at the block level. According to the food demand curve, elasticity was high, and the nutritional food dietary decreased as store prices increased. The store prices within 500 m of the redevelopment site would tend to increase because luxury supermarkets would dominate, while over 500 m they would often tend to decrease because new non-luxury supermarkets would compete for opening. There are two types of blocks with a high risk of food desert: A block surrounded by multiple redevelopments or a block whose store price has gone up considerably.