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Culinary Deserts, Gastronomic Oases: A Classification of US Cities

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  • Zachary Paul Neal

    (Department of Sociology, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1007 West Harrison Street, Chicago, Illinois 60607, USA, zneal2@uic.edu)

Abstract

This paper explores the role of restaurants, as consumption spaces, in defining the consumptional identity of 243 American cities. Specifically, it is asked whether, and how, US cities can be classified on the basis of the local prevalence of specific types of restaurants-are some cities culinary deserts, while others are gastronomic oases? A two-stage cluster analysis reveals four distinct city types, which fall along two intersecting dimensions: a quantitative dimension of restaurant availability and a qualitative cultural dimension. These four city types are characterised and connected to the existing literature on consumption spaces, with particular attention to a strong parallel between these city types and the communities discussed by Richard Florida. Several directions for future research using the city classification as a conceptual framework are offered. Additionally, these analyses involve the development and application of a new method of measuring a city's number of consumption spaces, which is theoretically superior to traditional per capita measures and which is described in a methodological appendix.

Suggested Citation

  • Zachary Paul Neal, 2006. "Culinary Deserts, Gastronomic Oases: A Classification of US Cities," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 43(1), pages 1-21, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:43:y:2006:i:1:p:1-21
    DOI: 10.1080/00420980500388728
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Nina Martin, 2014. "Food fight! Immigrant Street Vendors, Gourmet Food Trucks and the Differential Valuation of Creative Producers in Chicago," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(5), pages 1867-1883, September.
    2. Wang, Shenhao & Zhao, Jinhua, 2018. "Divergent Trajectories of Urban Development in 287 Chinese Cities," OSF Preprints cvjnx, Center for Open Science.

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