Food Systems Planning and Healthy Communities Lab

Food Systems Planning and Healthy Communities Lab The UB Food Lab is a research group that focuses on the role of community-led planning and policy in creating equitable health and food systems.

The Food Systems Planning and Healthy Communities Lab (‘the UB Food Lab’), a research group led by Dr. Samina Raja, housed in the School of Architecture and Planning at the University at Buffalo (UB) is dedicated to research that critically examines the role of planning and local government policy in facilitating equitable community health and food communities. The Food Lab’s research unfolds in c

ollaboration with other research groups within and outside UB, as well as in partnership with community and planning organizations and local governments in the United States and globally. Drawing on its research, the Food Lab team provides technical assistance to community advocates, planners, and local governments on the use of policy and planning to create equitable food systems and healthy communities.

Juneteenth Agricultural Pavilion-Buffalo a space to cultivate, regenerate, and liberate. Visit the Pavilion today (Satur...
06/13/2026

Juneteenth Agricultural Pavilion-Buffalo a space to cultivate, regenerate, and liberate. Visit the Pavilion today (Saturday) and tomorrow (Sunday)!

06/13/2026

It's a beautiful day at the Juneteenth Agricultural Pavilion-Buffalo! Come visit!

Swing by the Juneteenth Agricultural Pavilion-Buffalo to learn about, share, and celebrate the incredible work to advanc...
06/06/2026

Swing by the Juneteenth Agricultural Pavilion-Buffalo to learn about, share, and celebrate the incredible work to advance food justice in Buffalo. There's something for everyone! Activities, information, and new and seasoned friends!

You will also hear a presentation from Carlos Calderon Jr, speaking about his research on structural stigma, food apartheid, and mental health.

06/04/2026
Get to know people in the Food Lab: Molly Riordan!As Molly Riordan’s career progressed, working in the field of food sys...
05/29/2026

Get to know people in the Food Lab: Molly Riordan!

As Molly Riordan’s career progressed, working in the field of food systems planning, she found herself consistently forging a path where one hadn’t previously existed. After more than a decade in the field, she joined the doctoral program at UB's School of Architecture and Planning, where she spent her first year learning how to write good research questions, better understanding planning theory, and creating bonds with supportive and intelligent mentors and colleagues.

From Cornell University’s Master of Regional Planning program, where she specialized in food systems planning, to the City of Philadelphia, where she supported efforts to procure high-quality, nutritious food for public programs, to working fulltime at The Center for Good Food Purchasing, a Berkeley-based nonprofit — Molly’s journey has always been fueled by an urgency to provide good nutrition. “The policies, programs, and systems that I’ve been working in — and that planners learn a lot about — are not flexible enough to meet that urgency,” she noted.

A highlight of her first year at UB, in addition to being selected as a WNY Prosperity Fellow for the 2026-27 academic year (the first time a PhD in Urban and Regional Planning student has won), has been her role as graduate research assistant in the Food Systems Planning and Healthy Communities Lab. She’s been working on a project funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which is examining community food systems dashboards and developing guidelines for how to leverage tools to advance data equity for food equity.

Keep reading to learn more about Molly’s tremendous accomplishments and what drew her to UB: https://archplan.buffalo.edu/news/2026/molly-riordan-phd-student-spotlight.html

05/28/2026

Join us as we celebrate the life, love, and legacy of Gail V. Wells. A beautiful day filled with healing, culture, unity, music, and community connection.

📍 JFK Park (Near Tennis Courts)
🗓 Saturday, June 6, 2026
⏰ 11AM–4PM

Come honor a visionary whose impact continues to inspire Buffalo and beyond. 💛

05/19/2026

Save the date!

Join us as we celebrate the life, legacy, and vision of Gail V. Wells 💚🦋

📅 Saturday, June 6, 2026
⏰ 11 AM – 4 PM
📍 JFK Park (near the tennis courts, corner of Eagle & Clinton)

This will be a beautiful day of community, culture, and connection as we honor a visionary who continues to inspire Buffalo and beyond. Expect joy, reflection, and celebration with community members, performers, and local vendors.

We’re currently looking for:
• Volunteers
• Sponsors
• Vendors (community, food & beverage, food trucks)
• Donations & giveaways
• Arts & crafts participants

Let’s come together in the spirit of Ubuntu — because we are stronger together. 🌍💚

📞 716-717-4781
🌐 www.buffalofreedomgardens.org

BlackExcellence BuffaloEvents FreedomGardens CelebrateLegacy

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233 Hayes Hall, University At Buffalo, South Campus
Buffalo, NY
14214

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

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