Increase Diversity of Users, Activities & Events
When we visited the Union Market last December 2018, there was a good mix of families, groups, and couples. Based on a cursory observation, however, it seemed that the main users of the space were visitors from the neighboring, relatively more affluent areas of DC. The food hall itself had more “upscale” stalls, compared to the ones we encountered at the Reading Terminal and Granville Market.
On the other hand, ethnic and smaller-scale businesses filled the surrounding undeveloped neighboring area around Union Market. We felt the vitality, energy, and sense of place in these buildings. We were afraid that they will all be closed down and that the buildings will be renovated to follow the more upscale programming of the Union Market. We didn’t have enough time for a thorough evaluation, but we wondered, whether the renovation of Union Market and the surrounding neighborhood will reduce the authenticity of the neighborhood and decrease the diversity of its users.
Union Market DC
OLDER BUILDINGS AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Renovated frontage with a food hall on the 1st floor and a warehouse events space in the 2nd level
Local ethnic grocery
in one of the older warehouse buildings
Local fresh produce store
in one of the older warehouse buildings
The diversity and authenticity of food offering in a food hall brings in the people who are searching for a food experience rather than just looking for something to eat [2-4, 6, 7, 11, 13, 22].
Increasing the variety of users, activities, and events in a food hall widens the diversity of the food hall’s users [7, 13, 19, 20] and thus expands the level of familiarity and social interaction within the community. In a study made by the Project for Public Spaces on how to increase dynamism in markets, 28% of respondents identified that the most important benefit of a market was its ability to bring people together [14].
Variety of Users
To maximize familiarity and social interaction in the community, one must plan a food hall to encourage a variety of users [7, 19, 20]. This includes variety in terms of: (1) demographics, e.g., older and retired people, families with children, single individuals; (2) ethnicity; (3) income; (4) origin, e.g., tourist versus local; and (5) purpose, e.g., passerby, shopper, diner [7, 19, 20].
GRANVILLE PUBLIC MARKET
VARIETY OF OBSERVERS, SHOPPERS, AND DINERS
“Over 6 million people visit the market each year, generating upwards of $50 million in annual sales. Because the vendor businesses are 100 percent locally owned, the market’s revenues are recycled within the Philadelphia region. The majority of patrons live in the Philadelphia region, and tourists make up about one-quarter of the shoppers.”
Location and accessibility play a significant role in ensuring that the food hall is visited regularly by different types of users [4, 11, 16, 17, 19, 20]. Affordability plays a major role in ensuring that the food hall is visited by lower-income members of the community [2]. Finally, the variety of stalls, activities, and events also play a role in determining how inclusive a place will be, to different segments of the community [2, 20].
Project for Public Spaces recommended that to evaluate the dynamism of a public place, we need to count how many activities are happening at the same time [20]. A well-planned food hall should serve as a dynamic public space for the community [20], where anyone can feel free to sit and have a meal, walk by and observe, or stop by and shop. In the Food Market Culture Report by the US based market research agency Culinary Vision Panel, 60% of respondents cited shopping as one of their preferred “food experience.” [21] Food halls should therefore also offer food items which can be taken home (e.g., jams and jellies, charcuterie, cheese, wine, etc.).
Locating a food hall near certain places (e.g., schools, day care centers, offices, convention centers, etc.) will also ensure that the routes and routines of different types of people will intersect inside the food hall [19].
VARIETY OF ITEMS TO BUY: ARTISANAL FOOD, ARTS & CRAFTS, COOKING INGREDIENTS, PLANTS, & COOKBOOKS
VARIOUS FOOD HALLS AROUND THE WORLD
Variety of Activities
“Another reason for today’s growing food market culture is the consumer’s desire for variety. Consumers want relevant variety in the form of specialty food markets based around one single cuisine or specialized foods. 57% of the consumers surveyed in this study said they like to buy from artisanal food producers they find at local markets and 52% said that they are more inclined to visit a specialized vendor at a market as opposed to a deli.
There is also an equally strong desire for multicultural variety in the form of food halls where you can have tacos and ramen in the same meal. 59% of the consumers surveyed in this study said they loved going to food halls because of the variety of food vendors, while 54% said they were inclined to start going to food halls because they had a little something for everyone.”
— Culinary Visions Panel
Food Market Culture Report 2017 [8]
Aside from eating and shopping, food halls must promote other activities [2, 12, 19, 20] if it were to encourage familiarity and social interaction. For example, the food hall must be inviting and entertaining enough, such that it will also encourage observing or hanging out [15, 19, 20].
To promote more interaction between the vendors and the shoppers, the food hall management can set up “food tours” or “market tours” [4] where the tour leader can share stories about the market, point out key stalls which have some historical or cultural significance, and facilitate conversations between the vendors and the tour participants. Other food-related activities include culinary classes, tasting events, and weekly farmers markets (if there are no fresh produce stalls inside the food hall) [5].
Variety of Events
Small spaces inside food hall structures can be planned to increase activities which the community can participate it. For example, pop up retail spaces indoors (for local crafts, etc.) can be used to fill up small corners [5, 7]. These temporary retail spaces will allow community entrepreneurs to expand their clientele to both the community residents and visitors. A larger open space can also be set up as a community place, for different kinds of gathering [5].
EDENS, the private developer behind Union Market DC creatively planned the whole neighborhood in terms of providing multiple uses, activities, and events within and around the market [18].
Union Market Variety of Stalls, Activities, Events, & Functions
The Market: Almaala Farms, Arepazone, Basta by Shouk, Bidwell Restaurant, Buffalo Bergen, Bun’d Up Hand Made Buns, Cordial Fine Wine & Beer, Craft Kombucha, Cucina Al Vola, DC Dosa, DC Empanadas, District Doughnut and Coffee, Gorsha Ethiopian Eatery, Harveys Market Healthy Butcher Shop, La Jambe Vin Fromage Charcuterie, Lyon Bakery, Neopol Savory Smokery Fish, On Toast, Peregrine Espresso, La Petite Lou French Bakery, Philly Wing Fry, Puddin’ Divine Comfort Food, Uzu Japanese Ramen, Rappahannock Oyster Co., Red Apron Butcher, Sloppy Mama’s, South Block Juice Co., Takorean Taco Grill, Teaism, The District Fish Wife, Toli Moli Asian groceries, Trickling Springs Creamery, Zita Rica Cuban,
Pop-up Stores: Apothekary lotions and potions, Buffalo and Bergen Suburbia Outdoor Combi Bar, Resource Design Library Shop & Events Place,
Shop: District Cutlery, Ian McCabe Studio, Politics and Prose bookstore, Sabah Turkish Shoes, Salt & Sundry kitchen items, Shelter jewelry studio & shop
Restaurants & Bars: Bidwell Restaurant, Blue Bottle Coffee, Cotton & Reed Bar & Distillery Tasting Room, Dolcezza Gelato & Coffee, Masseria Italian Restaurant, O-Ku Japanese Restaurant, Pluma by Bluebird Bakery, Shouk Modern Israeli Street Food, St. Anselm specialty grill & winery, Stellina Pizzeria, The Village Café
Work: Advoc8 agency, GoodFight film production company, HUGE digital agency, New Columbia Solar company, Rana Labs digital agency, Reading Partners nonprofit, Sensis cultural change agency, Takorean business start up
La Cosecha – new market building focused on Latin American culture, including food, art, music, film, culinary learning, creative tourism, etc.
Angelika – a pop out outdoor cinema
Dock Five & Auto Shop - large event venues
Events - Workout Saturdays, Film Workshop, Kombuch 101, Black History Month at the Cinema, Watercolor Cocktails, Story hour, Fit 4 Mom Stroller Rides, Mahjong Mondays, Zumbini music and movement class, Salon Betty Painting Worskhop
Union Market DC
Pop-up Retail store selling clothes
Pop-up Retail store selling food-oriented posters and cards
Neighboring building with additional retail stores like Politics and Prose bookstore (background), The Village Café (foreground)
Pop Up Retail Store selling various healing lotions and potions
Anchor store selling kitchen and dining ware
2nd floor warehouse type event center with an ongoing local gifts festival
In evaluating the Union Market list of stalls, events, and activities, we see a clear attempt to increase the diversity of its users. For example, they have activities for children and mothers, smaller businesses and nonprofits in the incubator work areas, a new Latin American in another building, and events like cinemas and festivals, etc. However, one can’t help but feel that it is still a private development undertaking. The primary target market of Union Market are people who can afford to spend in the market and buy a unit in the neighboring residential area (which is up for redevelopment by the same private firm).
In the case of the renovated Union Market DC, despite its historical perspective and the variety of uses, activities, and events that it offers, one wonders whether it continues to have a meaning to the original residents, business owners, and workers in the community.
We are reminded of the need to achieve a balance between the demands of visitors and the needs of the local residents, between the aesthetic appeal of a renovated building and the dynamism of an old one, between providing for the urbane culinary delights of the foodie consumer market and the fresh food requirements of the current residents of the community [4, 9, 10].
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———, 'Urban Food Markets in the Context of a Tourist Attraction - La Boqueria Market in Barcelona, Spain', Tourism Geographies, 20 (2018), 397-417.
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———, 'Food for the City, Food in the City', Architecture Design May/June 2005.
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