Table 4.
Stated purpose of legislation by municipality (N = 25).
| Municipality | Overarching Objective of Legislation |
Purpose of Legislation | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Address Lack of Healthy Food Options | Expand Diversity of Retail Stores | Improve Community Safety/Blight | Support Local Economy and Businesses | Enhance Community Aesthetics | Address Labor and Cost Concerns | ||
| Birmingham, AL | Modify existing regulations to allow for more diverse retail options and convenient access to fresh meats, fruits, and vegetables | X | X | ||||
| Palm City, FL | Mitigate negative secondary effects of use on public health, safety, and welfare | X | X | X | X | X | |
| Atlanta, GA | Prevent proliferation in economically depressed areas with scarce access to healthy and affordable food options | X | X | X | |||
| College Park, GA | Prevent economically depressive state of neighborhoods and diminishment viability of supermarkets | X | X | ||||
| Clarkston, GA | Protect the public health, welfare, and aesthetics of the city | X | X | X | |||
| DeKalb County, GA a | Study the effects of small box discount stores on health, safety, and welfare | ||||||
| East Point, GA | Study the effects on health, safety, and welfare of the city’s residents and businesses | X | X | ||||
| Stonecrest, GA | Address the economically depressive state of neighborhoods and diminishment viability of alternative options | X | X | X | X | ||
| Wyandotte County, KS | Regulate availability to assure the best possible opportunity to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to the community | X | X | X | X | X | |
| New Orleans, LA | Address rapid proliferation that may impede the successful entry of full-line grocery stores | X | X | X | |||
| Melvindale, MI | Regulate the proliferation of stores in the city and improve opportunities to offer fresh healthy foods | X | X | ||||
| Southfield, MI | Prevent potential negative effects on the business of the city’s existing supermarkets | X | X | ||||
| Akron, OH | Guard against local business disinvestment within neighborhoods that lack access to fresh food | X | X | X | X | X | |
| Broadview Heights, OH | Address proliferation to protect the health, safety, and welfare of community members | X | X | X | X | X | |
| Brunswick, OH a | Preserve the public health, safety, and general welfare of the city’s residents and property owners | ||||||
| Cleveland, OH | Preserve public peace, property, health, safety, and welfare | X | X | X | X | X | |
| North Royalton, OH a | Preserve the public peace, health, safety, and welfare of the city and review the city’s proposed master plan | ||||||
| Toledo, OH | Study the impact on public health and safety | X | X | ||||
| Oklahoma City, OK | Regulation to preserve property values, prevent blight, and protect the health, safety, and general welfare of the residents | X | X | X | |||
| Tulsa, OK | Reduce over-concentration of small box discount stores to increase diversity of retail activity and allow for community-based approaches to distributing healthy foods | X | X | X | |||
| Mauldin, SC | Study the effects on local business, job growth, and access to fresh foods | X | X | X | X | X | |
| Baytown, TX | Improve the city’s image and recruit higher-end retail establishments that provide retail diversity | X | X | X | |||
| Fort Worth, TX | Promote access to healthy food options in underserved neighborhoods | X | |||||
| Manvel, TX | Expand the diversity of retail businesses in the city | X | X | ||||
| Mesquite, TX | Promote the availability of fresh and quality foods, especially in underserved neighborhoods | X | X | ||||
| TOTAL, n (%) | 20 (80%) | 19 (76%) | 10 (40%) | 9 (36%) | 7 (28%) | 4 (16%) | |
X: stated policy purpose. a Purpose statement for this policy only includes sponsor language of “improving public health, safety, and welfare”. No themes were identified.