Sensible Standardization

In New York, and around the country, street vendors are asked to comply with various regulations about their businesses, health, food safety, merchandise, and even cart or stall design.

Standards are important, but in New York there are complaints about over standardization, including problems like inadequate locks and the boring similarity of the stalls.

Street Vendors help make places unique, we cannot hobble them with unrealistic design goals. Not everyone will approve of the "street furniture" merchants use to market their wares, but context matters and if cities INSIST on design standards then cities should also CONSULT with merchants on how to make the standards serve the goals of the city, the public, and the merchant.

Together cities and merchants can identify desirable and important features of vending stalls, features that enhance the business and the neighborhood, both of which are important goals merchants serve when they do business on the street.