It now attracts both locals and visitors in great numbers, and in contrast to the cold emptiness amid the downtown skyscrapers, the market has life . A half-dozen blocks from the Capital in Washington D.C., the Eastern Market is regaining vitality thanks to weekend flea markets and street vendors. Consequently, area businesses are doing much better, the streets are safer, and the crime rate is down. Charleston s market offers a popular alternative to the cloned uniformity of shopping malls. In Harrisburg, the weekend market affords a festive family outing for many of that city s residents in addition to providing fresh, low-cost fruits and vegetables.
Enjoyable cities are careful to provide for the full diversity of their populations.
An acquaintance of mine, a renowned and highly successful architect, has homes in San Francisco, Vancouver and London. He told me that he doesn t much care for San Francisco anymore. His observation was astute and reflects the fact that the affluent people in our society contribute relatively little to a vital public life. It is people with limited means and possessions in their private lives who, of necessity, do more of their living in public settings. Moreover, they tend to acquire habits of human interaction that lend vitality to the places they inhabit.