Proposal:  'CartMart' for downtown revitaization

Problem and Rationale:

            Many inner cities suffer from a special kind of 'blight':  According to the planning principle of allocating urban land to the 'highest and best use' -- meaning, in reality, to the kinds of uses generating the most income and thus pay the highest taxes -- downtown areas have become 'monoculture' districts of governmental and private enterprise office buildings, banks, perhaps some  high-priced hotels and restaurants.  Real residents as well as the kinds of small scale shops that supported them have moved out, in part of their own desire for suburban living -- in part simply forced out by higher prices, zoning policy, the lack of shops, schools, and other traditional urban amenities; and crime. This is because these areas are 'alive' -- if mainly with vehicular traffic -- only during office working hours, and deserted at other times.

Many cities are trying to 'revitalize' such downtown areas, trying to attract residents back into downtown:  making them 'pedestrian-friendly'. The means by which they are doing this are often not getting at the heart of the problem:  design guidelines for sidewalks, artwork, cute signage, even orchestrating special 'downtown letdown' events, are costly and not nearly as effective as desired. The downtown 'liveliness' and appeal -- as well as providing support shopping within walking distance of residences -- is not being achieved, because regulations and rental rates are preventing the kind of small grain businesses of traditional cities from locating at sidewalk level and forming the kind of continuous chain of interest and attraction needed for pedestrian appeal, enjoyment and safety.

            A real remedy for this problem would have to involve drastic changes in the 'use' regulations (or incentives) for floor area adjacent to the sidewalk:  discouraging low-frequency visitor destinations such as banks, law offices, high-end stores (that the ordinary user would only visit once a year) from locating at sidewalk level, in favor  of small shops residents as well as office workers would visit once a day. The problem is that such shops, if they have to conform to regulations requiring e,g, handicapped restrooms, employee rest areas, orderly delivery and garbage deposit areas, etc. simply cannot afford to pay the per square foot rental rates in these areas:  a doughnut shop aiming mainly at a morning hour clientele and remains largely empty in the afternoon and evenings will neither afford to stay in such locations nor contribute to pedestrian appeal at all hours.

Proposal: 'Cartmart'

            A proposal that could be a catalyst for change is that of the  downtown ‘Cartmart’.  The suggestion is to open the entire ground floor of selected buildings (or, temporarily, the area of currently empty lots) as a public area with small kiosks (carts, or vans) that would offer daytime-specific merchandise, for only part of the day, then leave and make room for other carts -- up to three or four (if the city’s aim of a 18-hr. downtown were to be realized) per day. Together, they might produce more rental income than a single store. The place would offer other public amenities -- covered bus stops, public restrooms, ATM’s, information kiosks, taxi stops, etc.

            These carts could be run by people as a part-time business. Some might be part of the universities', the SBA’s, the Chamber’s or City’s programs to help students or would-be entrepreneurs get started with their own business.

            Some might be sponsored or supported by the Big Box Stores that helped destroy the Mom&Pop stores and currently generate all the driving traffic to their sites. They might be asked to provide their wares at favorable rates to the cart businesses -- perhaps in return for advertising space on one side of the vans. Vendors would be encouraged to sell locally grown and produced wares.

            These businesses would offer downtown office and government workers -- as well as residents who now might find it convenient enough to live downtown -- reasonable shopping and refreshment / lunch / dining opportunities without having to get in their cars to drive to the malls or big box stores; thus arguably alleviating the traffic pressure in town. 

            The Cartmart venues could be enhanced by exhibit facilities for local artists and displays of current public planning projects -- combined with provisions for discussion and entering comments, questions, opinions, offering  planning 'participation' opportunities that do not require inconvenient traveling (driving) to special destinations after hours for public hearings and 'town hall meetings' that typically suffer from poor attendance.

            Some of the vans who are no longer in the downtown facility but wish to be active for the rest of the day as well, might then drive out to the suburbs to set up mobile  ‘instant mini-markets’ of several such vans, for an hour or two at a time, where suburban residents, elderly or otherwise housebound and work-at-home people could buy goods within walking distance, for which they otherwise would have to get in the car to drive to some mall or big store. This would not only ease the traffic load everywhere but also strengthen neighborhood cohesiveness  in the suburbs -- simply by giving residents there an excuse and opportunity to meet their neighbors at these 'mini-markets'.

            Such projects would help increase the attractiveness of downtown areas for pedestrians, help re-attract residents to such areas, reduce traffic, provide work / employment opportunities by small businesses  whose incomes and thus taxes would remain local,  and strengthen communities downtown and in outlying residential areas.  They could be implemented everywhere with relatively little effort and public investment.