The Living Market
Juror summary: based on a vigorous analysis of spatial segregation and economic inequity, a proposal for targeted redevelopment to support cottages industries and local markets in disadvantaged downtowns.
Our proposal seeks to revitalize suburban downtowns by tackling two main problems: 1) how to connect – socially and economically – a highly diverse community; and 2) how to provide much-needed housing for low and moderate income families. To connect a diverse community, we provide a common denominator that can act as a kind of community binder – a centrally located marketplace.
We further propose that these markets be integrated with housing for market employees. In this way, housing and markets would be both physically and functionally combined – creating “the living market.” This housing would be in various forms of the “shop/house,” either over existing retail, or within new live/work units fronting the market. We propose that this housing would be reserved for market vendors, their families, and their employees.
Market vendors would supply goods either from small scale production in their live/work units, or from nearby community gardens.
In sum, our proposal has three basic elements:
1. The Shop/House. Housing adjacent to markets would support cottage industries – producers, working from their homes, engaged in various forms of household manufacturing, such as sewing, tortilla making, and other family-run, home-based businesses.
2. Parking Lot Markets. Markets would be located on underutilized land: centrally located parking lots. Housing would directly front these market areas.
3. Community Gardens. In addition to goods from home-based businesses, vendors could supply market goods by growing crops in nearby community gardens. We include three formats for urban agricultural production, based on varying levels of urban intensity. Our prototypes are based on the idea of an urban to rural transect (www.transect.org).
Key themes: supporting diversity, supporting local economies, multi-unit housing, suburban agriculture
Collaborators: Emily Talen, Sungduck Lee