The Atlas of food. Processes, actors and representations toward the food strategy of Torino metropolitana

The proposed contribution presents the theoretical background, the aims and the design of an action-research project developed and partially implemented by an interdisciplinary group or researchers based in Turin (Italy), including geographers, planners, IT experts, agronomists, and designers. The core of the project is the development of a methodology of analysis of urban food systems based on the realization of the Atlas of Food: a digital participatory platform, which aims to be at the same time a container of information and a virtual space for participation about food systems. The major scale of analysis and representation of the Atlas is the metropolitan area of Turin, even if information are also collected and organized at other scales, according to specific needs, in order to highlight the multi-scalarity of the food systems. The Atlas is divided into three main sections: a) a collection of scientific and non-scientific articles, thesis and other materials, about food and food systems; b) a web-gis representing various aspects of the food system centered on Turin; c) a user-generated interactive map, integrating a crowdmapping approach with social networking.