My regional food bank became concerned that many residents of this area live in neighborhoods and rural communities that lie outside of the available options for transportation to and from food and other essentials of daily life. They worked with a planning commission to map work sites, grocery stores, food pantries, educational centers, and medical offices throughout the area.

When they integrated available transportation options into the map, it illustrated where people of the region have inadequate services and little or no access to the necessities. The lack of connectivity between large centers of activity that operate day and night – colleges, hospitals, supermarkets, and industries – and transportation options that run night and day also became clear.

The mapping project raises deeper questions about the quality of life available to all of us. Who has a nearby convenience shop if they run out of milk or bread? Who can get to a library? A restaurant? A movie? A church? Is it safe to go for a walk – in daylight and at night? What support is available for teens, elders, caregivers? The map can include as many interrelated questions as the planners want to consider.

This is a clear example of how to work on equality in our own backyards. Building a caring community starts with people who are familiar with all of our homes and neighborhoods, not just the centers of activity, and who understand the inequalities that location can create. Access is one of the foundation stones in replacing systemic advantages with systemic caring.

Can everyone in your community navigate the essentials: get to work, do grocery shopping, get to medical care facilities and appointments, shop at stores, get to classes? For those who are without a car, does the community have bike paths, bike share programs, bike lanes on the roadways, sidewalks, micro-transit options and public transportation options for everyone?

These questions reflect a mindset of caring for everyone in the community. Mapping access gives our municipal leaders a way to imagine what good can come from the work they do.

Note: The mapping project was reported on by Scott Merzbach for the Greenfield (MA) Recorder, 2/24/24. (“Can You Get There From Here?”)