From Social to Spatial Justice in Campus Food Insecurity: Equity, Access, and Futures

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 3:45 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Mapping Spatial Injustice: Educational and Food Access

Abstract

Food insecurity is a growing concern across U.S. higher education institutions, affecting student wellbeing, persistence, and degree completion. This exploratory quantitative study uses a social justice framework to examine how multimodal transportation access (transit, biking, walking) influences college students’ access to food resources in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. Spatial analysis reveals that while most student housing is within walking distance to a bus stop, nearly one in four students remain underserved by transit-accessible grocery stores. These findings highlight structural barriers that contribute to food insecurity, especially among commuter and low-income students. The study addresses a methodological gap by integrating multimodal transit data into geospatial analysis and offers practical insights for equity-driven campus infrastructure planning and policy.

Authors

• Tanaporn Supanichrattana, Illinois State University

• Huachen Gao, Illinois State University