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Journal of Place Management and Development

ISSN : 1753-8335

Article publication date: 7 January 2020

Issue publication date: 6 February 2020

The purpose of this paper is to examine public market functions in three different continents (Europe, North America and Asia) and to identify a set of planning implications for their use in contexts of urban regeneration.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents a comparative analysis of four downtown market functions based on the LABiMAAM framework: [L]ocation; [A]ccessibility; [B]uilding; [i]nternal structure; [M]ain trading area; [A]menities and services; [A]nimation program; and [M]anagement structure.

The lessons learned suggest that centrally located public markets possess: social functions aimed at guaranteeing food security, urban development goals that prevent the leap-frog suburbanization of the territory, walkability goals that reduce automobile dependence and welfare goals that support disenfranchised, usually minority, populations.

Research limitations/implications

Positive and dire implications are identified. The former are structured in terms of these five categories, namely, social, financial, macro-spatial, environmental and public space; while the latter tend to result mostly from the abandonment of the public good orientation associated with having a public market function in a central location.

Originality/value

This study results from the realization of increasing developmental pressures and widespread tendencies to multiply specialized retail offers in both traditional, and especially, innovative commercial formats. The findings comprise the identification of public policies aimed at augmenting the relevance of commercial urbanism and urban regeneration strategies.

• Public policy
• Food deserts
• Commercial urbanism
• LABiMAAM framework
• Public markets
• Urban habitability and competitiveness

Acknowledgements

An earlier version of this study was presented at the VIIth International Seminar on City, Retail and Consumption, September 16-21, 2019 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The author would like to thank the participants for their perceptive comments. The author would also like to thank the two anonymous reviewers and the special issue editors of the Journal of Place Management and Development for their insightful comments and suggestions.

Balsas, C.J.L. (2020), "The role of public markets in urban habitability and competitiveness", Journal of Place Management and Development , Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 30-46. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMD-05-2019-0033

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Public Marketplaces Promoting Resilience and Sustainability

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Dear Colleagues,

Marketplaces have changed the world. One example is how marketplaces facilitated cosmopolitanism in European history. Since the late 1960s, marketplaces in the U.S. have enjoyed a substantial resurgence triggered, in part, by middle-class interest in local food and economic changes that restructured consumption practices by introducing the cycle of product development and discount retail to sell new but older products. However, this purpose of marketplaces is complemented today by many other purposes, such as local food systems and food security, reducing food miles, enhancing public places, and increasing pedestrian access to retail, tourism, etc.

This Special Issue of Sustainability offers authors the opportunity to reflect on changes in marketplaces and on how, recently, they are being used to support a variety of public and private purposes, from immigrant households to corporate practices; and from fostering civil society to promoting individual opportunity while at the same time providing for community resilience. The issue welcomes empirical works and conceptual essays from anywhere in the world, which demonstrate how authors or their partners are leveraging multi-functional public marketplaces for a variety of purposes.

I encourage researchers and practitioners to submit original research articles, case studies, reviews, critical perspectives, and viewpoint articles on topics including, but not limited to, the following:

• Methodological aspects of urban marketplaces;
• Marketplaces fostering resilience in the face of public health problems and catastrophic events;
• The processes of assessing marketplace contributions to sustainability;
• Stakeholder involvement in urban marketplaces;
• The evolution of marketplaces, their history, and contemporary organization;
• Lessons learned from research and practice of public markets;
• Households and individual dynamics and the social/regulatory construction of marketplaces;
• Conceptual connections of inclusion, resilience, and other ideas to marketplaces;
• Organizational coordination in developing marketplaces;
• Case studies of marketplaces, covering successes and failures as appropriate;
• The evolution and future of urban marketplaces.

Dr. Alfonso Morales Guest Editor

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website . Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form . Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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URBAN PUBLIC MARKETS: The shift in their architectural values and the effect on their socio- economic activities (a case of Kampala).

The formation of urban public markets in Uganda has from time immemorial been determined by their individual neighborhoods. People within a neighborhood came together to designated areas with a purpose of social and economic exchange amongst themselves. Eventually, temporally shelters were developed within these designated market areas and later on permanent developments. The permanent developments have taken on different design complexions which have in return impacted their social and economic performance. This dissertation traces the development of public markets from the ancient Greek times, through different regions to the current local context. It outlines various social and economic benefits that are internationally expected of an appropriate public market and known design guidelines. Case studies of Nakawa and Wandegeya Market were studied so as to provide an account of life within the public market places. The methodology employed included interviews with vendors, customers, market authorities and other informed urban authorities. Field studies were done with consideration of tools of observation, photography and field sketching so as to visually interact with the different spaces and appreciate their usage. The findings of this dissertation informs us of the different opinions that the market stakeholders have about the two markets, analyses how the different architectural values possessed by these markets affects their social and economic life and finally points out the design and planning guidelines which could be beneficial to designing of public markets. The recommendations provided are to aid in the development of an appropriate public market.

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Design for Social Impact

Ahmed K. Ali

In this paper, the outcomes of a two-year design research study that investigated the impacts of architectural design on the social, cultural, and economic factors influencing the revitalization of the urban marketplace are summarized. These two case studies in designing and building urban markets in Central Texas — one in the city of Austin, and the other in the town of Bryan — are presented and synthesized. Both cases were initiated, designed, and built by university students in the disciplines of architecture, construction science, and landscape architecture, in collaboration with a cross-disciplinary oversight team of experts, government officials, and professionals. Platforms for engaging in active and dynamic learning experiences in the specific areas of planning, budgeting, and scheduling, as well as design and construction, within the broad field of community development, were provided to the students in both cases.

Maurizio Marinelli

Historically, street hawkers and street markets originated, all over the world, as the real first form of retailing. Today we still use the term 'street markets' to refer to outdoor spaces that are made up of a set of implicit and explicit traditions and cultural practices, but these are also spaces of sociality and connection (Watson 2009; Watson and Studdert 2006). Although street markets are primarily studied as sites for the exchange of economic goods and tradable products, they play a crucial role in the policies of urban regeneration, tangible and intangible heritage, place-making, healthy eating, social sustainability, environmental impact, social and community cohesion, and economic innovation (Shepherd 2009; Stillerman 2006; Watson and Wells 2005). Based on the premise that street hawking and street markets are part of a wider socioeconomic and political system, this essay concentrates on the transition from street hawkers to public markets in Hong Kong, and analyses this historical transformation and their consequences within the framework of Hong Kong Government's strategy to create a modern and sanitized city.

Preventing Chronic Disease

Lauren Olsho , Jan Jernigan , Deborah Walker

Street vending is pervasive across the globe, especially in developing nations. It is a significant activity related to the informal sector in urban areas. In India, the Largest concentration of street vendors in Mumbai has 0.25 million ,followed by Kolkata is having 0.2 million street vendors. This informal activity offers employment opportunities and livelihoods for urban weak, but the urban local authorities consider it to be an illegal activity. As per National Policy on the Urban Street Vendor, 2004 and 2009, Model Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihoods and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill, 2009-some initiatives are taken by the government. Other agencies, such as NASVI and SEWA, have played significant roles in encouraging suppliers to develop policies for street vendors.The paper discusses a survey conducted in the SouthEast administrative zone of Surat city administered by the municipal corporation. It was about understanding the perception and the extent of the street vending activity in the zone. The findings from the questionnaire-based survey are exciting and reveal many untold facts about the ground situation.

Master of Philosophy Thesis in Development …

Krishna Prasad Timalsina

isocarp.net

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Agriculture and Human Values

Linda Aleci , Nancy Kurland

Xolani Msomi

This paper assesses the influences that have encouraged street vendors to produce and distribute trading spaces informally within policy confined environments. The aim was to identify how informal space production and appropriation between traders affects urban management and inclusive policy implementation- noting Warwick Junction demurred success as a result of space reconfiguration and changing spatial arrangements into a contested market space. Hence the study was to focus on the existing Durban Informal Economy Policy with regards to its regulatory mechanisms and management of trading space production in Warwick Junction. Importantly the study identified the main actors in producing, managing and sustaining of informal trading spaces of Warwick Junction. Also, the study highlighted practical spatial planning and policy implications caused by this phenomena including the need for pro-active monitoring and problem-solving orientated engagement beyond ad hoc policy space supervision.

Khalilah Zakariya

Street market in urban centres has become a part of the major commercial place for locals and tourists. In most revitalization projects, the image of the street market will be changed as the space becomes more modernized to attract visitors. As a consequence to the redevelopment of street markets, the arrivals of visitors and the visitor experience may also change. This paper examines the role of street market as an urban cultural space for the city. Through a case study on Ferringhi Night Market, Penang, the researchers conducted a survey among the locals and tourists, semi-structured interviews among the vendors and field observation to analyse the nature of Ferringhi Night Market as a street market and how visitors and vendors experience and perceive it. The study found that Ferringhi Night Market plays heterogeneous roles as a commercial and cultural space. There are several factors that contribute to the visitor experience at Ferringhi Night Market in terms of the elements, the spaces, the surrounding site, atmosphere, local activities, products and the presence of local people. To further improve the vibrancy of Ferringhi Night Market, this study suggests that the physical setting needs to support more social activities and cultural activities.

Agboola Oluwagbemiga (Ph.D.) , MOHD HISYAM BIN RASIDI FAB

Open space such as market square is a communal ground where people carry out their various functional activities. This research work is undertaken in order to fill the knowledge gap in areas of people and place relationship, where improvements are needed to overcome challenges in the provision of facilities, design, and planning. The spatial conditions, development patterns, and relationship between the markets' users and their attachment to the community were explored. A mixed-method approach is adopted in which, the spatial transformations of the market and neighbourhood was explored using ArcGIS version 10.3. Similarly,382 respondents' views were sought through self-administered questionnaires and analysed by Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) version 22. The qualitative findings revealed time-wise spatial expansions of the market and neighbourhood. The tested hypothesized model reveals that residents' dependence and identity with market square had positive significant impacts on residents' attachment to the community with standardised path coefficient values of 0.32 and 0.48 respectively. It is therefore recommended that appropriate machinery should be put in place towards improving the quality of the market square to further enhance users' interaction cum the sustainability of the community in Nigeria.

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The Contemporary Public Market: A Sustainable Design Approach to Low-Cost Operating Public Markets in Oman

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Unconventional Engagement: Reviving the Urban Marketplace

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In this paper, the outcomes of a two-year design research study that investigated the impacts of architectural design on the social, cultural, and economic factors influencing the revitalization of the urban marketplace are summarized. These two case studies in designing and building urban markets in Central Texas — one in the city of Austin, and the other in the town of Bryan — are presented and synthesized. Both cases were initiated, designed, and built by university students in the disciplines of architecture, construction science, and landscape architecture, in collaboration with a cross-disciplinary oversight team of experts, government officials, and professionals. Platforms for engaging in active and dynamic learning experiences in the specific areas of planning, budgeting, and scheduling, as well as design and construction, within the broad field of community development, were provided to the students in both cases.

Marketplaces —also known as market halls, market sheds, or market districts— have always played an important role in the history and development of cities around the world. While these markets are still present in many countries, they have all but disappeared in the United States, a casualty in an urban landscape that has changed quickly to accommodate growing populations and increasing urban density (Brown 2002).

Permanent farmers’ markets, for example, have mostly vanished from the scene as a building typology that carries a strong sense of place-making in towns and cities throughout the United States. Recent social changes, however, have spurred the gradual reappearance of the local marketplace, most commonly in the form of weekly or biweekly farmers’ markets (Johnson, Aussenberg, and Cowan 2014). Unique opportunities for integration, interaction, and expression along diverse urban contexts are provided by this uptrend in urban development across America. Opportunities to revitalize economically struggling communities, change consumer habits, educate consumers on nutrition and other topics, and celebrate diversity in places where it might otherwise be stifled, are inherent in such urban markets, which also provide a basis for improving public health, incubating small businesses, and promoting food safety.

Permanent markets existed long before the invention of the lightweight, collapsible tent that is quickly assembled over the bed of a pickup truck in open parking lots on weekends. Studies on the behavioral ecology of supermarkets and farmers’ markets shed light on their distinct social differences, the consumer response to each, and the values, both positive and negative, found in the shopping experiences at each. Cleanliness, friendliness, efficiency, price, sociability, and happiness resulting from the experience were among the topics surveyed. In almost every category, respondents placed the supermarket on the negative end of the spectrum, and the farmers’ market on the positive end. Face-to-face interactions with producers, whom customers consider trustworthy and who increase customers’ knowledge about the origins of the food they consume, are the preferred shopping experience (Gale 1997).

What has displaced the urban marketplace during the past century? What changes in modern societies have caused the gradual and sporadic reappearance of marketplaces in cities and towns? What is the role of architecture in reviving the contemporary urban market? Specifically, how do the evolving urban food initiatives in Central Texas determine the functions and relationships between a context of struggling communities and the modern urban marketplace? The published work about what constitutes the architecture of the market is surprisingly sparse. In fact, a collection of old postcards from David K. O’Neil’s private collection for the Projects for Public Spaces (PPS) effort was the only source that revealed the architectural beauty of markets in the United States. Unfortunately, most of the markets depicted have been demolished (O’Neil 2013).

Commercial Food Production and the Decline of the Traditional Marketplace

The decline and displacement of the marketplace in the United States is due in large part to the growth of commercial food production. The shift from local to global food distribution, which occurred with the rise of dependable highways and improved transportation systems after the Second World War, was noted by Monika Roth. The supply-demand chain became less dependent on local farming, and “big box” supermarket chains started utilizing central warehouses to distribute goods. Roth affirmed that small producers eventually “went out of business or turned to direct marketing” (Roth 1999).

High-demand, large-scale aggregation of products, as well as quality control protocols, were introduced with the advent of streamlined food production and distribution. The shopping habits of urban populations changed with the emergence of local supermarkets and grocery store chains. As cities and suburbs grew, consumer habits became more efficient and “pre-packaged.” According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), there currently are more than 8,100 farmers’ markets nationwide, an increase of almost 5,000 from the previous decade (Johnson, Aussenberg, and Cowan 2014).

Consumer Response to the Decline of the Traditional Marketplace

The increased interest in reviving the marketplace in recent years perhaps has been due to the public’s sense of social isolation and desire for more personal interactions (Roth 1999). The social dynamic of the grocery store or supermarket experience has given way to a desire for shopping as a “personal experience.” As Roth noted, consumers have “moved from a price/product orientation to a value/experience orientation,” and that farm direct marketers “have changed in response to changing consumer interests and lifestyle” (Roth 1999).

Consumers are not the only ones desiring this type of personal exchange. As Fred Gale reported, a survey of vendors at nine farmers’ markets in rural New York found that the primary reasons identified by vendors for selling in this venue related to social interactions. Gale, for example, quoted a farmer who said, “We enjoy visiting with customers and other vendors.” The social aspects of the venue were rated higher than “We want extra income,” or “Our other sources of revenue are limited.” It also is likely that many of the small, urban-fringe farms, that participate in direct selling are run by part-time farmers who depend primarily on off-farming income sources. For the operators of these farms, the motivation to farm is often non-economic (Gale 1997). In another study, conducted by James Kirwan, a respondent who was a producer from Wiltshire, U.K., stated that

I want to be dealing with people directly and to be producing the food that people want, rather than just producing some commodity that gets shipped off somewhere and processed. It’s making the farm more visible to the local population, bringing them back in touch with food production. (Kirwan 2006)

The traceability of food products, especially produce, also is becoming more important to consumers, who increasingly value products that are healthy and grown organically, with little to no pesticides. The perceived authenticity found in interacting directly with the producer has significant implications for the sudden popularity of the direct marketing of food products through farmers’ markets (Kirwan 2006).

THE ROLE OF THE MARKETPLACE IN CREATING A SENSE OF PLACE

Studies in urban design have highlighted that creating a sense of place is fundamental to the realization of the modern, public space (Salah Ouf 2001). The staff of Projects for Public Spaces, based in Austin, Texas, reflected on the growth of cities and noted that increased traffic and “greater road capacity are products of very deliberate choices to accommodate the private automobile,” and that city planners could instead “design our streets as comfortable and safe places for everyone” (PPS 2014).

In this manner, the marketplace helps public spaces thrive in cities and towns throughout the world. Designing the built environment around the market in a way that creates a sense of place is vital to the success of these public spaces (Watson 2009). In Melbourne, Australia, for example, City Council House 2 is a municipal office building, the staff of which seeks to increase the number and vitality of public interactions within the surrounding communities by being “connected to the surrounding neighborhood, fostering street life and creating a strong sense of place,” by using architectural design elements that result in “a comfortable place and an integral part of the community” (PPS 2014).

The market, in that sense, becomes both origin and destination, helping community residents recognize and value the public space as integral to their collective identity. The market is more than merely a location where one obtains food and other necessities, but also embodies the community’s unique sense of place. It becomes what Ray Oldenburg called a “third place” that forms the “core settings of informal public life” and is host to “the regular, voluntary, informal, and happily anticipated gatherings” of people “beyond the realms of home and work” (Oldenburg 1989).

THE ROLE OF DESIGN ASPECTS IN SUPERMARKETS AND FARMERS’ MARKETS

Consumers are provided bland, sterile, and anonymous shopping experiences at today’s supermarkets and large grocery stores, and the farmers’ market redefines this experience by leveraging interactions between the consumer, producer, and merchant that are inherently trustworthy and personal. Sommer et al. identified a self-serving culture as featuring “[t]he process of de-socialization ¾ that is, the elimination of opportunities for human interpersonal encounters in the marketplace is accelerating in retail settings in general, and in supermarkets in particular” (Sommer, Herrick, and Sommer 1981).

Sommer et al. explained the behavioral ecology of both supermarkets and farmers’ markets, of which architectural design is a part. Customers’ circulation through the store and exposure to products were the primary differences between the two. The supermarket design intentionally prioritizes traffic flow, thus eliminating spaces where shoppers could hold conversations. Similarly, store aisles are designed to maximize product display and shopper pass-through, and eliminate the possibility of easy communication between people on opposite sides. As Sommer et al. noted,

Shoppers at the farmers’ market, however, are free to talk across the low stands or boxes containing fresh produce. Physical objects at the farmers’ market serve more as bridges than barriers. Farmers’ market customers carry hand baskets and paper bags which don’t increase conversational distance or block interaction to the same degree as shopping carts. (Sommer, Herrick, and Sommer 1981)

An ease of communication and personal interactions in their shopping experiences are increasingly sought by customers. Farmers’ markets have become both a shopping destination and a preserver of such interactions. Opportunities to change the social habits of consumers, build on public spaces in urban communities, and provide a necessary and widely desired pleasant and humane experience for the buying of groceries, have resulted from this trend. As McGrath et al. explained:

Farmers’ markets belong to a class of marketplaces experienced by consumers in a very particular way. The structure of such markets unfolds along the dimension of a formal-informal dialectic, and the function along that of an economic-festive dialectic. (McGrath, Sherry, and Heisley 1993)

Such markets exhibit great semiotic intensity; that is, the tension of the marketplace structure and function is “palpable to participants and seems to energize them as well” (McGrath, Sherry, and Heisley 1993). Karen Franck, in her article “The City as a Dining Room,” gave profound insights on the importance of architecture in the revival of the marketplace. She noted that the city functions as “dining room, market, and farm,” and that Modernism’s “segmented and sterile” approach to dining and shopping should be replaced with “a correct mixing of land uses” that creates “places and ways for growing and selling local produce as well as for consuming it” (Franck 2005).

Pike Place Market, Seattle.

EXAMPLES OF A PERMANENT MARKET AND A FOOD HUB

Permanent Market: Pike Place, Seattle, Washington

One of the few successful examples of a permanent market in the United States today is Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington. Factors such as strategic planning, an excellent site and location, an appropriately sized marketplace, and a diverse, culturally rich larger community helped it succeed after being renovated ( Fig. 1 ). Factors that play a critical role in its ongoing success include the existence of the market as a well-known landmark before renovations, the gradual building up of vendors and tenants, and the shift toward social consumer habits at farmers’ markets in general. Operating since the early 1900s, Pike Place hosts ninety to one-hundred-twenty farmers and artisans in a central urban public market, while housing permanent restaurants and shops (including the original Starbucks coffee shop and Sur La Table kitchenware retailer), which collectively generate more than $100 million in annual sales. Approximately sixty percent of the ten million annual patrons are tourists including 900,000 from cruise ships (TXP 2013).

Organized as a redevelopment authority, Pike Place owns and manages fourteen buildings on nine acres, including three-hundred-fifty affordable apartments for the elderly, centers for children and the elderly, and a medical clinic. David O’Neil, an international market consultant and expert in the management and development of public markets, spoke of Pike Place’s relevance to the emergence of similar permanent markets across the United States, noting that “there’s been an enormous revival of interest in these markets,” and that these markets often begin in “some public open space but they can mature into covered market sheds” and other, more sophisticated and permanent physical structures (PPS 2014).

Food Hub: 21 Acres Center, Seattle, Washington

Operations on a larger scale than the marketplace are known as food hubs . The green-built 21 Acres Center for Local Food & Sustainable Living, just outside Seattle, Washington, is a comprehensive campus with a farm, school, food hub, commercial kitchen, and market. The site is the region’s first operating, community-oriented food hub, aggregating regionally produced food and delivering it across Seattle and Tacoma. It also helps local farms increase their profitability by providing a central point of purchase, thus reducing the logistics related to travel. The Puget Sound Food Network, which is associated with 21 Acres, supports increased production, distribution, and consumption of regionally produced foods (TXP 2013).

A large number of residents live more than a half-mile from the nearest supermarket.

METHODOLOGY

In this section, case studies in the design and construction of two urban markets in Central Texas, one in the state capital of Austin (population 932,000), and the other about 100 miles to the northeast, in Bryan (population 76,000 and adjacent to College Station, population 106,000), are presented. Platforms for engaging university students in active and dynamic learning experiences in community development through project planning, budgeting, and scheduling, as well as facility design and construction, were offered by each project. The objective of this paper is not to compare the case studies, since one was designed and built, and the other was designed only. Instead, a contribution to architectural education through the power of design research, and an unconventional engagement with many entities outside academia in reviving the marketplace, are explored. Since post-occupancy evaluation was not possible, the author relied on the scholarly literature to measure design decisions and on experts to evaluate the proposals.

CASE STUDY ONE: AUSTIN PUBLIC MARKET (MASTER PLAN + DESIGN)

Recommendations for additional feasibility studies related to the creation of permanent food markets and food hubs, based on findings that highlighted the significant economic value of the food sector, were made in a recent report by the City of Austin on the economic impact of Austin’s food sector. The enhancement of Austin’s food sector and a projected increase in economic and social benefits to both visitors and residents were linked in the report (TXP 2013). Total sales activity in Austin MSA food-related sectors exceeded $10.6 billion in 2012, and provided about 100,000 jobs (TXP 2013). The study stated that the local marketplace is a valuable component in the revitalization of urban communities. Setting a precedent that is growing both in popularity and relevance, the farmers’ market (or direct marketing of food stuffs in general) can provide direct and tangible benefits socially, environmentally, and economically. These include retaining land for productive agricultural use, adding to the community’s economic diversity, providing meaningful employment, supporting local businesses, utilizing local resources, and adding to the tourism industry. According to Roth, farmers’ markets are “proven business incubators” that have “helped to revitalize urban centers and bring back a sense of community” (Roth 1999).

Austin Public Market Master plan.

A design proposal for a major, permanent public market in Austin, which was initiated, researched, and designed by Zach Wise under the direction and mentorship of the author, was the first project. Establishing a sense of place within the East Austin community, reducing food deserts within the city, creating an attractive and vibrant public space, and building on Austin’s growing urban food and agriculture sector, were the project’s objectives. Through the design of buildings that supported a sense of place (in this case, in East Austin) the market could enhance the vitality of the community infrastructure and increase the connections among residents of the surrounding neighborhoods. Furthermore, through collaborative qualitative research conducted with respondents from the Sustainable Food Center (SFC) and the Projects for Public Spaces (PPS) in Austin, it became clear that the city was ready to take a leadership role in “food urbanism” and establish a permanent, public market similar to Seattle’s Pike Place Market. An area of approximately three and a half city blocks directly east of downtown Austin and Interstate 35, where access to healthy, fresh food is limited, was selected as the site ( Fig. 2 ) .

Given that local markets are considered catalysts for urban vitality and economic growth, the proposal positioned the market as a place of commerce for local businesses, which could play a significant role in the area’s socio-economic revitalization. Successful markets in major cities generally are not broad, central markets, but rather are a network of strategically placed, small markets. Therefore, this project was intended to bring together the residents of a culturally isolated and diverse community. An understanding of urban regionalism and ecological design within the context of Austin gave insight into the potential role of an urban marketplace in creating social and economic vitality and cohesion in an otherwise divided community. The marketplace was envisioned as a social, public space with permanent and temporary market stalls to allow both ongoing and temporary market activities. Areas for community-supported agriculture and subsistence farming, as well as for educational programs, were preserved in the proposed site master plan. Providing these spaces, along with areas for small-scale agriculture and gardens, and variable, outdoor public spaces for both coordinated activities and leisure, was important ( Figs. 4a , 4b ).

Goals, objectives, and criteria matrix for the proposed Austin Marketplace.

See caption for Fig. 4a - Ed.

Project Goals, Objectives, and Criteria

A review of the literature, as well as field studies and intensive engagement with the East Austin community and potential project stakeholders, resulted in the development of seven goals that formed the basis for master planning and site design. Strategic objectives that included measurable evaluative criteria were the basis for each goal ( Figs. 4a , 4b ). The seven goals were as follows:

• Design the new marketplace as an urban catalyst that would enhance activity at the site, foster street life, increase community vitality, and embrace the physical and spatial characteristics of the market hall as it relates to the Austin food sector.
• Create vibrant public spaces that encourage activities, social interactions, and dynamic connections between the diverse resident populations of East Austin. Create a sense of place within East Austin neighborhoods.
• Reduce the number of “food deserts” in East Austin and provide opportunities for easier access to healthy food in the surrounding communities.
• Facilitate the organization, development, cooperation, and implementation of the variety of urban food applied systems and research in cooperation with higher education institutions and research centers in Austin.
• Provide opportunities to celebrate and express cultural diversity, and cultivate community development, in these East Austin communities.
• Provide opportunities for community involvement and education in the areas of urban agriculture, nutrition, recycling and adaptive reuse, technology, and design for social impact.
• Create a practical and ecologically responsible facility within the master plan of the site.

Based on a site analysis and feedback from the community and industry experts, six strategies to achieve the desired goals were proposed ( Fig. 5 ) . A permanent market, intended to be an urban catalyst, was designed for the north side of the site, and a food boulevard (where the original train tracks bifurcated the site) were added to connect the surrounding communities as a public space. A food hub, to be established at the southeast corner where a new train station is planned under the city master plan; an open space on both the north and west sides to celebrate diversity; and several Agri-Pods, the author’s unique solution to facilitate efficient urban agriculture and community gardens in Central Texas; and a recycling/composting facility to integrate natural systems, also were included.

These goals were addressed in the initial site master plan, which served as a foundation for discussion with community members and obtaining feedback from experts at the Austin Sustainable Food Center, Downtown Austin Alliance, and other organizations. Inputs from experts were addressed through several iterations until consensus was reached. Objectives and criteria were tied to the project goals in a diagrammatic matrix that was used in soliciting feedback, and that helped participants make design decisions.

Agri-Pods: A Unique Solution to Urban Agriculture

A raised-bed solution to small-scale agriculture was transformed into an architectural proposition. In contrast to big box grocery stores, the Austin Marketplace would consist of cast-in-place concrete boxes, ranging from 100 square feet to 300 square feet, called “Agri-Pods,” to be situated between linear, butterfly canopy roofs to harvest rainwater. The boxes had two parts: a rooftop agricultural bed and a vendor space below, connected with exterior stairs and a network of sky bridges. The Agri-Pods are the permanent individual vendor spaces and are linked for pedestrian access, while the adjoining timber butterfly pavilions serve as temporary stalls for suppliers, as well as an outdoor leisure area ( Figs. 6 , 7 ).

A passive cooling strategy is implemented through the walls of the Agri-Pods. The depth of the roof structure, along with multiple layers of soil and a drainage system, provide thick thermal insulation for the indoor area, as well as protection from direct sun exposure. The walls, designed in the “Trombe” system, allow warm air to pass through a wet pad, then drop and circulate within the space. This type of natural and passive cooling is common to many public markets ( Fig. 8 ) .

Six strategies to develop the Austin Marketplace.

Rainwater collection, outdoor food boulevard, and temporary stalls.

View of the Agri-Pods from the rooftop agricultural beds.

Agri-Pods’ passive cooling system and partial floor plan.

CASE STUDY TWO: BRYAN URBAN FARMERS’ MARKET (DESIGN + BUILD)

The second case study was designed and built by an interdisciplinary group of university students majoring in either architecture or construction science as part of a university curriculum in design/build education. The process from design to realization spanned a full academic semester. Collaboration with city officials and professional engineers, preparation of construction documents, and securing the building permit were all performed by the students. The City of Bryan is located in the heart of the seven-county Brazos Valley. Its total area is approximately 44.5 square miles. Bryan was incorporated in 1871 as a small-town stop along the state’s expanding railway system (University of North Texas 2016). It quickly grew into a thriving, permanent center for agriculture, business, and trade, which helped set the city apart from similar train stops across the state.

The arts and culture that characterize Bryan are recognized nationally, especially since the town is adjacent to College Station, home to the world-class Texas A&M University. The distance between the nearest College Station city limits and downtown Bryan is about four miles. College Station, which grew up around Texas A&M and was not incorporated until 1938, does not have a central downtown area. In the 1970s and 1980s, shopping centers were built in other parts of Bryan-College Station, putting a strain on downtown Bryan that caused its steep decline. The downtown area, however, currently is experiencing a remarkable urban revitalization, with numerous activities to introduce people to the city’s culture and commerce (Burris 2009). As stated in a City of Bryan report, “In the late 1980s, a movement toward downtown revitalization began in Bryan, bringing businesses and interest back to the downtown area. Today, businesses are opening, expanding, and relocating in Downtown Bryan, breathing new life into the area” (City of Bryan 2016).

The deterioration of downtown areas is a problem in many American cities. A shift in traffic and shopping patterns, the development of new businesses and regional shopping centers elsewhere, vacant and dilapidated storefronts and homes, increased levels of crime, and a lack of funding for revitalization, all contributed to this decline. Today, many cities are investing in their downtowns in hopes of transforming them into thriving urban districts. The establishment of regular public events showcasing downtown merchants, music, and food is one popular strategy. Ongoing public events help drive positive awareness of a city’s downtown and make area residents aware of the many unique opportunities that exist there. Farmers’ markets and music festivals are examples of the kinds of activities that draw people to downtown. In addition, these events, as well as special tours, give residents an overview of the historic buildings and cultural landmarks that often are found in downtown areas and are important parts of a city’s unique heritage.

The farmers’ market currently held every Saturday in an open parking lot in downtown Bryan is not the city’s first. A recently published photograph revealed that there used to be a permanent, covered farmers’ market, apparently built in 1925, on the east side of the railroad tracks at the present-day intersection of William Joel Bryan Parkway and Tabor Road (Fullhart 2015). In the photo, several 1930s-era cars are parked around the market, and people are buying and selling goods throughout the entire area ( Fig. 9 ) . In the background, several buildings that are still standing today are visible. According to historians, the market was closed in 1960, and the site was sold to a local businessman, who converted it into a parking lot (Costa 2015).

The current weekend market consists of approximately thirty-two vendors from the Brazos Valley Farmers’ Market Association, who use portable tables and tents that they install and uninstall each week. Acknowledging the logistical issues associated with temporary farmers’ markets, and redefining the role of architecture within a community, the Design + Build Interdisciplinary Studio in the Texas A&M University College of Architecture approached the city and the Farmers’ Market Association and offered to design and build a permanent farmers’ market structure as a service learning project for architecture students. As part of this effort to make a big impact through a small-scale intervention, as well as to demonstrate the power of design to enhance the community, the College of Architecture awarded a small grant and made available a fabrication facility. Meetings with city officials and members of the Farmers’ Market Association were conducted to better understand the association’s needs and the operation of the weekend market. Through a partnership between the City of Bryan, the Farmers’ Market Association, Texas A&M, and several local professional engineers, the project was launched in fall 2015.

Small-scale, pavilion-type markets are not only great incubators for the small businesses associated with them, but also provide projects of a manageable size and scope for semester-long design/build university curriculums. The success of the recent two markets designed and built by architecture students in Virginia and North Carolina as part of the new design/build education model offered in schools of architecture is a testament to the power of design in reviving the small-scale urban marketplace (Dvorak and Ali 2016). For example, gardens near a farmers’ market encourage the public to get hands-on instruction in gardening, while also providing healthy produce and a venue for positive social interactions. Many special events, such as the annual Blues Festival and Texas Reds Festival, and monthly First Fridays, are held in downtown Bryan throughout the year. Since the farmers’ market site is near downtown, spaces suitable for activities associated with these specific events were designed and placed within the project site.

Bryan Farmers’ Market, circa 1925.

The designated site near downtown Bryan is approximately two acres. The east boundary is public parking for St. Joseph Catholic Church. There are two historic structures on the site: a residential house dating to 1871 and a carriage house dating to 1880. The remainder of the site is undeveloped, with a few trees. All of the surrounding properties on the block are publicly used. Since the site was designated for public use by the city and the gifting foundation, a master plan for the entire two acres was necessary ( Fig. 10 ) . The following five objectives were identified through meetings with city officials, community residents, and representatives of the funding entity:

• Propose a program to reclaim the site and enhance it economically, socially, and ecologically.
• Provide connectivity to surrounding properties, such as St. Joseph Catholic Church.
• Provide greater context between the site and the community.
• Provide new features and characteristics in re-imagining the identity of the site.
• Provide spatial quality for the program’s proposed activities.

Along the site’s south boundary, a long, permanent farmers’ market designed as a modular pavilion unit, named The Tree, was proposed. The Tree unit acts as an autonomous shading structure, with a multilayered roof stemming from a cluster of columns. The proposed series of identical sections, placed side by side, creates a row of farmers’ market stalls. Each section, or “tree,” provides approximately 100 square feet of shaded area (8 x 12 feet of vendor space) supported by a cluster of four 6 x 6 inch timber posts. Traditional Japanese architecture inspired the market structure: repetition is the logic of the roofing system, and the design serves both structural and architectural needs.

Master plan showing the visitor centre to the east and farmers’ market to the south.

The outdoor market structure was designed and built by university students majoring in architecture and in construction science. The effort was part of Real Projects, a community outreach initiative that engages college students from multiple disciplines in projects benefiting communities in the Brazos Valley ( Fig. 11 ). The planning, design, pre-construction, and construction of the Bryan Farmers’ Urban Market were carried out by these students. The interdisciplinary studio worked collaboratively during the entire design and build process. The studio was divided into three teams, each assigned to produce specific documents required for obtaining the building permit and building the pavilion.

The power of architectural design and the efforts of the students participating in service learning were leveraged through the project to make a direct, positive impact in the Brazos Valley. A space and shelter where local farmers could sell produce, and where residents could have an outdoor “living room,” was provided by the permanent market. The pavilion is used for musical performances and classes on farming and nutrition. The permanent pavilion, designed to be both beautiful and functional, encourages residents to develop a greater appreciation for architecture, and a greater practical understanding of the importance of a healthy lifestyle. The engagement between a top-tier research university, local residents, professional consultants, and city officials was a successful example of designing for social impacts that improve the quality of life for both project participants and end users.

Students constructing the modular market units called “the tree.”

ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION FOR POSITIVE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS

At a time when the cultural differences and diversity that could enrich a city’s social fabric are under threat due to political agendas, the marketplace appears to be a possible missing link for healing divisions and restoring trust by offering a unique opportunity for people of all ages, and from all cultures, social classes, and walks of life, to interact and build mutual respect. The biological necessity for food is not separate from the social need of humans to interact, which makes the market an excellent facilitator of interaction between those who otherwise might not ever come into contact with each other. People whose lives are seemingly disparate in every way would benefit from the chance encounters and interactions that inevitably occur at such a place.

In both cases presented in this study, enhancing the development of urban communities through engagement between university students participating in real-world architectural education and residents of the university’s adjacent communities was the overarching goal. Because the marketplace was positioned to become a venue where diversity within the community would be celebrated, conducting all aspects of planning, design, and construction using comprehensive community input and participation was critically important. Community involvement at every step of the process, and empowering citizens to advocate for themselves, are encouraged by this participatory strategy. Texans in East Austin and Brazos County could benefit profoundly from this approach. The involvement of residents in the surrounding communities in jointly providing input on their specific needs for a public space, and the subsequent organized community response, ultimately resulting in the creation of a shared public space, also could be a development tool for uniting a divided community.

Unexpected solutions to complex problems are offered by architecture in the facilitation of unconventional social engagement. Whether in a major city such as Austin, or a smaller town such as Bryan, the architecture of the marketplace encourages and cultivates inherent social dynamics, provides the opportunity for cultural expression, and promotes community cohesion and economic development. Ecological design in the practice of adaptive reuse, construction processes, and the harvesting of materials, is informed in the marketplace by local agriculture, farming, and artisanship. A market could be a module, an urban catalyst for growing a network of community markets within the urban fringes of a city or town. As demonstrated in these case studies, architecture has the power to offer synthetic solutions to highly complex problems, and all of these solutions begin with the education of the architect.

Brown, Allison. “Farmers’ market research 1940–2000: An Inventory and Review.” American Journal of Alternative Agriculture 17, no. 4 (2002): 167-76. doi: 10.1079/AJAA200218 .

Burris, Charlie. “The Revitalization of Downtown: The Birth and Rebirth of Bryan, Texas.” Archivoltum (March 2009).

City of Bryan. “Downtown Bryan History.” Brazos County History: Rich Past-Bright Future, 2016. 

Costa, Chris. “Downtown Bryan to Become Permanent Home to Brazos Valley Farmer’s Market.” KAGS (2015).

Dvorak, Bruce D. and Ahmed K. Ali. “Urban Agriculture Case Studies in Central Texas: From the Ground to the Rooftop.” In Urban Agriculture . Edited by Mohamed Samer, chapter 2, 3-20. InTech, 2016.

Franck, Karen A. “The City as Dining Room, Market and Farm.” Architectural Design 75, no. 3 (2005): 5-10. doi: 10.1002/ad.70 .

Fullhart, Steve. “Back to the Future: Farmer’s Market Moving into Downtown Bryan Area.” KBTX, 2015.

Gale, Fred. “Direct Farm Marketing as a Rural Development Tool.” Rural Development Perspectives 12 (1997): 19-25.

Johnson, Renée, Randy A. Aussenberg, and Tadlock Cowan. “The Role of Local Food Systems in U.S. Farm Policy.” Congressional Research Service, 2014.

Kirwan, James. “The Interpersonal World of Direct Marketing: Examining Conventions of Quality at UK Farmers’ Markets.” Journal of Rural Studies 22, no.3 (2006): 301-12.

McGrath, Mary Ann, John F. Sherry, and Deborah D. Heisley. 1993. “An Ethnographic Study of an Urban Periodic Marketplace: Lessons from the Midville Farmers’ Market.” Journal of Retailing 69, no. 3 (1993): 280-319.

O’Neil, David K. “The 10 Greatest US Public Markets that Met the Wrecking Ball.” Project for Public Spaces, 2013.

Oldenburg, Ray. The Great Good Place: Cafés, Coffee Shops, Community Centers, Beauty Parlors, General Stores, Bars, Hangouts, and How They Get You through the Day . 1 st ed. New York: Paragon House, 1989.

Project for Public Spaces. “Ten Strategies for Transforming Cities and Public Spaces through Place-Making.” PPS, 2014.

Roth, Monika. “Overview of Farm Direct Marketing Industry Trends.” Agricultural Outlook Forum , 1999.

Salah Ouf, Ahmed M. “Authenticity and the Sense of Place in Urban Design.” Journal of Urban Design 6, no. 1 (2001): 73-86. doi: 10.1080/13574800120032914 .

Sommer, Robert, John Herrick, and Ted R. Sommer. “The Behavioral Ecology of Supermarkets and Farmers’ Markets.” Journal of Environmental Psychology 1, no. 1 (1981): 13-19.

TXP. “The Economic Impact of Austin’s Food Sector.” 2013.

University of North Texas. “The Portal to Texas History.” 2016.

Watson, Sophie. 2009. “The Magic of the Marketplace: Sociality in a Neglected Public Space.” Urban Studies 46, no. 8 (2009):1577-91. doi: 10.1177/0042098009105506 .

The author would like to thank the College of Architecture at Texas A&M University for funding this research initiative. Special thanks also go to the Center for Housing and Urban Development; Professor Bruce Dvorak, Dr. Ben Bigelow, Dr. Shannon Van Zandt, and Professor Michael O’Brien; Mr. Karl Hoppess with the Coulter & Lilly Rush Hoppess Foundation; Mrs. Leslie Guindi and Mr. Joey Dunn with the City of Bryan; Thomas Gessner and Niko Gomes with Gessner Engineering; Matt Macioge, farmers’ market manager with the Austin Sustainable Food Center; members of the Brazos Valley Farmers’ Market Association; graduate students Zach Wise, Kendall Raabe, Tiantian Lyu, and Jingwen Lu; and finally, the undergraduate students in environmental design and construction science in the spring 2016 ARCH 406 Interdisciplinary Studio class.

Figure 1: Photo by the Author.

Figures 2 and 3: Image by Zach Wise.

Figure 4a, 4b and 5: Figure by the Author.

Figures 6, 7 and 8: Image by Zach Wise.

Figure 9: Photo courtesy of the Downtown Bryan Association.

Figure 10: Figure by Jingwen Lu.

Figure 11: Photos by the Author.

Ahmed K. Ali , Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of architecture at Texas A&M University. He has taught and practiced architecture in the United States, Italy, Turkey, and Egypt since 1998. Ahmed’s research and scholarship focus on the architecture of waste and the constructive technique in the materials and methods of conventional practice. His work explores the relationship between structure, construction, and tectonics. E-mail: [email protected]

Professor in Residence, Department of Architecture, GSD, Harvard University, Cambridge MA, USA

Dean, Facoltà di Architettura, Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome

Professor of Architecture, College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji University, Shanghai, China

Founder of Archi-Tectonics, Miller Professor and Chair of Architecture at Stuart Weitzman School of Design

Professor Emeritus, Department of Architecture & Built Environment, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK

Professor, SCI-Arc, Los Angeles CA, USA

Professor of Urbanism, Dipartimento di Architettura, Universita' degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy

Professor of Urban Design and Planning, GSD, Harvard University, Cambridge MA, USA

Professor of the History of Architecture and Technology, GSD, Harvard University, Cambridge MA, USA

Dean, School of Architecture, Princeton University, Princeton NJ, USA

Professor, The Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London, London, UK

Professor of Architecture, Witwatersrand University, Johannesburg, South Africa

Dean, School of Architecture, Syracuse University, Syracuse NY, USA

Hon FRIBA, Hon COAM, Senior Advisor for The OBEL Award  

Dean, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, National Chiao-Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan

Dean, Graduate School of Design, Harvard University, Cambridge MA, USA

Deputy Dean,  College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji University, Shanghai, China

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‍ A curated dispatch on all things public markets plus the latest announcements from the Market Cities Program.

Public Markets Research

Diversifying markets initiative (2002-2008), ford and w. k. kellogg foundations.

Working with the Ford Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, PPS developed a national funding initiative around public markets and farmers markets. With initial support from Ford, we conducted research that demonstrated how public markets provide both a low-cost entry point for new businesses and a focal point for bringing diverse groups of people together (see  Public Markets as a Vehicle for Social Integration and Upward Mobility , 2002).

This research was soon complemented by a grant from Kellogg to explore the role farmers markets play in supporting local food systems (see  Public Markets & Community-Based Food Systems: Making Them Work in Lower-Income Neighborhoods , 2003). Using these findings as a departure point, with continued support from Ford and Kellogg, PPS developed a national funding program for public markets in low and moderate-income communities. The goal of the three-year (2005-2007), $3 million grant program was to strategically support markets, market networks and state market associations broaden their social and economic impacts on their communities while simultaneously improving their internal economic sustainability.

Forty markets in 22 states were awarded funding and their efforts showed that through small amounts of funding markets could boost the sustainability of vendors and management, resulting in increased market sales and higher market operating revenue. These gains were also a result of strategic efforts to enhance the spin-off benefits and the market’s “sense of place” in the community. Markets diversified their vendor and customer base, supported youth development projects, provided increased access to healthy food and served as transformational places for their communities to gather (see  Diversifying Farmers Markets: New Opportunities for Farmers, Communities and Consumers , 2008).

• Ford Foundation Research: "Public Markets as a Vehicle for Social Integration and Upward Mobility" Nationwide (2002-2003)
• Kellogg Foundation Research: "Public Markets and Community-based Food Systems" Nationwide (2002-2003)
• “Diversifying Farmers Markets: New Opportunities for Farmers, Communities and Consumers” Nationwide (2008)
• “Diversifying Farmers Markets: Expanding the Potential of State and Regional Farmers Market Associations” Nationwide (2008)

Eating Healthy Research (2008 – 2010)

Robert wood johnson foundation.

In partnership with Columbia University, PPS examined strategies for implementing farmers markets in low-income communities as well as barriers that need to be addressed to improve the viability of markets in these areas. The project focused on several former PPS grantees from across the country, each of whom has implemented a variety of strategies to enhance the sustainability and community impact of their markets. This research combined case study analysis and an examination of a wide array of existing data collected by the markets, including customer surveys and annual management reports, with new data collection including a survey of customers and local residents and focus groups with youth involved in farmers markets.

• " Farmers Markets as a Strategy to Improve Access to Healthy Food for Low-Income Families and Communities " (2013)

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