The Show Horse and the Work Horse
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The Show Horse and the Work Horse
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Re: The Show Horse and the Work Horse
#2Not emphasized in Johnny’s post, there’s also a ton of neighborhood pushback against flea markets and such in many communities. Basically the wealthier folks don’t like the aesthetics of these things, and will argue that they’re a nuisance or crime-magnets or whatever, a thin veneer over the discomfort they have with anything that draws a low income crowd.
You’ll see things like the “Sunday Farmers Market” that closes a block of a street somewhere because temporary event permits are much easier to get and harder to block, but the kind of semi-permanent marketplace described in the article remains rare.
And he’s right, cities don’t have a lot of incentive to try and make space for these sorts of entry level incubator environments because in most cases they can’t skim any tax off it - the underlying property is still just a parking lot and they usually can’t reassess the value for impermanent activities happening on top.
Re: The Show Horse and the Work Horse
#3Not emphasized in Johnny’s post, there’s also a ton of neighborhood pushback against flea markets and such in many communities. Basically the wealthier folks don’t like the aesthetics of these things, and will argue that they’re a nuisance or crime-magnets or whatever, a thin veneer over the discomfort they have with anything that draws a low income crowd. You’ll see things like the “Sunday Farmers Market” that close…
The city also doesn't have a way to measure the increase in tax revenue that comes from having a place to walk to that you can get food, tools, clothing, and supplies. I wish I didn't have to drive anywhere to get stuff, and if I lived near a flea market I actually wouldn't have to drive anywhere.
Re: The Show Horse and the Work Horse
#4Not emphasized in Johnny’s post, there’s also a ton of neighborhood pushback against flea markets and such in many communities. Basically the wealthier folks don’t like the aesthetics of these things, and will argue that they’re a nuisance or crime-magnets or whatever, a thin veneer over the discomfort they have with anything that draws a low income crowd. You’ll see things like the “Sunday Farmers Market” that close…
Maybe we should work on making cities less greedy about tax revenue and instead care more about benefiting the people who live there.
Re: The Show Horse and the Work Horse
#5The armchair planner in me was a little taken aback at first by the description of the flea market as "amazingly good urbanism" -- good urbanism looks like bike lanes and trees and mixed-use development, not parking lots! -- but of course that's falling into the very thought trap illustrated by the post.
Parking lot flea markets are exactly 'tactical urbanism' in the same mode as pop-up bike and bus lanes -- the repurposing of car storage for more economically valuable and human-centric use, and (us) urbanist types should talk about them more often!
Re: The Show Horse and the Work Horse
#6Not emphasized in Johnny’s post, there’s also a ton of neighborhood pushback against flea markets and such in many communities. Basically the wealthier folks don’t like the aesthetics of these things, and will argue that they’re a nuisance or crime-magnets or whatever, a thin veneer over the discomfort they have with anything that draws a low income crowd. You’ll see things like the “Sunday Farmers Market” that close…
>there’s also a ton of neighborhood pushback against flea markets and such in many communities. Basically the wealthier folks don’t like the aesthetics of these things
Tons of perfectly fine things that don't really bother anyone are not allowed because wealthy people don't like the aesthetics.
Re: The Show Horse and the Work Horse
#7Not emphasized in Johnny’s post, there’s also a ton of neighborhood pushback against flea markets and such in many communities. Basically the wealthier folks don’t like the aesthetics of these things, and will argue that they’re a nuisance or crime-magnets or whatever, a thin veneer over the discomfort they have with anything that draws a low income crowd. You’ll see things like the “Sunday Farmers Market” that close…
Maybe we should work on making cities less greedy about tax revenue and instead care more about benefiting the people who live there.
The problem is that's a lovely sentiment until there isn't enough money to keep the libraries open.
Re: The Show Horse and the Work Horse
#8This parallels my favorite Mr Money Mustache article, which happens to be about work trucks[0]. There seems (to me) to be so much money ill-spent on façades.
https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2015/04/28/what-does-your-wo...
Re: The Show Horse and the Work Horse
#9Earlier quoted context omitted.
Maybe we should work on making cities less greedy about tax revenue and instead care more about benefiting the people who live there.
The problem is that's a lovely sentiment until there isn't enough money to keep the libraries open.
Tiny rural towns manage to have libraries. Cities are just addicted to tax revenue.
Re: The Show Horse and the Work Horse
#10Earlier quoted context omitted.
Maybe we should work on making cities less greedy about tax revenue and instead care more about benefiting the people who live there.
The problem is that's a lovely sentiment until there isn't enough money to keep the libraries open.
Yep. Schools, police, fire, water and sewer. That's the minimum price of entry. And that's with no nice to haves, like libraries, sidewalks, or snow and garbage removal. (And it assumes the state is willing to maintain most of a city's streets free of charge?)
Cities cost money. Lots of it.