Feeding Cities in the Global South: Challenges and Opportunities for Action in Cartagena
This MIT seminar looks at how large cities in the developing world get fed, using Cartagena, Colombia as the working case study. Readings and class discussion cover urban food provisioning, market systems, and food policy through the lens of sustainability and social inclusion, asking who controls access to food in cities where informal markets often fill gaps left by weak infrastructure. The course is structured to prepare students for direct fieldwork, engaging with Cartagena's urban markets and food policy interventions rather than treating the topic abstractly. Materials include the syllabus, assigned readings, and project guidelines as published by MIT OpenCourseWare, free to access with no certificate offered. It suits students interested in urban planning, development economics, or food systems who want a concrete regional case rather than a general survey. The course assumes some background in urban studies given its advanced level and applied, project-oriented approach to fieldwork preparation in a specific Colombian port city.