The last few years have brought transportation policy reform to New York City. Three hundred miles of bike lanes have been added, and part of Times Square was even turned into a pedestrian plaza. But why are street vendors absent from this discussion? Other cities recognize that vendors are an important part of making public spaces livable. In Portland, for example, this excellent report (sent by Professor Irene Tinker) concluded that “food carts have positive impacts on street vitality and neighborhood life.” This paper, out of India, found that vendors are “essential as a part of [the] transportation planning process.” Maybe somebody over at the excellent Streetsblog needs to pick up the vendor beat.
UPDATE: We just saw this — how does the City of New York write a 236-page “Street Design Manual” and mention street vendors only once, in passing (on page 65)?
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