Retail, grocery, etc exists in a totally different ecosystem that it did 100 years ago. Urban planning decisions can't change the fact that Americans are now accustomed to spending a smaller percentage of income on food than any other country on Earth. Food has largely been replaced with more expensive housing in the average household budget, and some first-world costs like smartphone and Netflix service. For people to return to these more fine-grained distribution networks means spending more on food, which in turn means spending less on other things.
I also think we shouldn't romanticize the food available to our c.1900 ancestors. You wouldn't get fresh produce in winter at all, you'd either be eating potatoes or maybe canned fruits/veg. People, even in the city, spent much of their summer and fall canning, pickling, preserving this stuff so they would have a vaguely nutritious diet in wintertime. The modern system has its problems but on the whole it allows for much better nutrition, at a lower cost, to more people than ever before in history.
When you see curb markets in places like Toronto, Philly, Atlanta, etc, they are not vital parts of the city anymore but mainly tourist attractions. Real people with real budgets will shop at cheaper places (i.e. supermarkets) for the majority of their needs. That's in part why the "food desert" problem exists - poor, usually black residents will gladly travel outside their neighborhood to a supermarket to stretch their dollar further, rather than shopping at a (hypothetical) more expensive small store that is nearby. Unfortunately, those smaller stores are exactly the kinds of businesses that would take risks on low-income neighborhoods. You end up in this catch-22 situation.
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Originally Posted by Via Chicago
but how we get more true 24 hr produce options in the city, and at a small local level, i havent a clue. we've destroyed so many possibilities for that. i feel like so many of these CTA owned properties under L stops would be perfect for stuff like that, but it always just seems to become a Dunkin Donuts or whatever
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CTA stalls are often too small or difficult to make work. Somehow Dunkin Donuts is an amazingly flexible concept that doesn't require black iron ventilation, the core products they sell (coffee and baked goods) require almost no special equipment and are ideally suited for commuters. Rather than being disappointed to see them in a CTA station, I'm often amazed that they manage to build a successful business in an utterly dogshit space.
Actually, though, CTA has absolutely tried to encourage local entrepreneurship. Jumping Bean is opening in the Damen (Pink) station, and local/entrpreneurial businesses have opened up at Jefferson Park, Jackson, Ashland/63rd, etc. Unfortunately, most small businesses fail and the ones in CTA stations are no exception. It doesn't surprise me that CTA often defaults to chains which represent a stable source of income and a relatively easy way to get rid of the constant complaints from neighbors and alderman about vacant storefronts.
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