Markets 4 People aims to study how historic town and city street-markets help to feed, employ and diversely include local citizens

A historic city or town centre marketplace can be a beautiful, organic, humanly sustaining phenomenon. Yet they are always inherently social and cultural, these markets - even the most freewheeling operates under conditions and regulations, both official and unofficial. They deserve respect, and repay study and appreciation.

So we’re delighted to come across the University of Leeds’ ambitious action-research project Markets 4 People, which they outline below:

Traditional markets have played a significant role in UK’s towns and cities for centuries and, in more recent times, have particularly supported deprived neighbourhoods by providing affordable food and start-up business opportunities as well as fostering social inclusion in increasingly diverse cities.

However, they have been affected by radical changes in global retail trends and public sector cuts which are relegating them to the side-lines. At the same time, markets aimed at high income shoppers and tourists, specialising in food, local produce, fashion and crafts, are on the up.

Research is urgent to understand the current situation of markets and their potential community value, which may be at risk as shown by the rise of campaigns denouncing the displacement of independent retailers and vulnerable users.

We will explore the following ways in which traditional markets create community value:

• Economic, as places that provide affordable food, products and services as well as creating opportunities for low cost business start-ups.

• Social, as platforms for social mobility and the development of community ties and trust leading to better social inclusion.

• Cultural, as spaces for experiencing a diversity of cultures and ethnicities and provide a sense of place for migrants, ethnic minorities and generally vulnerable citizens.

They want to hear from Traders, Market Operators and Managers, Campaigns and Community Groups, Market Users, and Policy makers - and from this, they eventually want to build a tool-kit for sustaining and developing town and city markets (watch out for it here). In the meantime, Markets4People is consulting to the likes of Newham Council on how to combine housing and street markets, as well as providing markets with advice on best practice during Covid.

This 2018 study of London’s historic street markets (commissioned by Mayor Sadiq Khan) provides a great overview of the social, cultural and commercial value of a town or city’s markets - worth reading.