Public Markets

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Public Markets, with their locally grown, locally made and locally owned businesses, accentuate the qualities that make a community special. They create dynamic places, stimulate economic opportunity and instill community spirit and cultural exchange.

Public Markets provide needed goods and services such as farm fresh fruits and vegetables, ethic foods, crafts and personal services that are often unavailable at the same level of quality, variety and price.

Public Goals of Public Markets:

attracting customers to urban areas
supporting affordable retailing opportunities for small businesses
addressing the problems of street vending
providing opportunities to farmers thereby preserving farmland
activating the use of public space
providing quality produce to urban customers where supermarkets are unavailable or limited

Within the U.S. and abroad, public markets have long shown themselves to be effective tools in efforts to revitalize urban communities.

Economically, Public Markets provide things that budding entrepreneurs cannot create themselves:

viable locations in which to sell their products or services
shared marketing and promotional programs
customers attracted to the total market experience
economic opportunity regardless of an individual's existing resources

Throughout the world, public markets are the main source of food distribution. Europe boasts about 80,000 markets. Barcelona, Spain, with a population of more than two million, distributes 81 percent of its food through public markets. In Italy, it is 55 percent.

The basic form and function of Public Markets retain a striking continuity across both time and place. Markets provide a common ground to mix, mingle, and enjoy the pleasures of socializing, people watching, and shopping in a special environment.