By Matthew Garron

In response to an increasing amount of deserted and neglected vacant spaces, there is a growing movement happening in city parking lots. These desolate parking lots, once seen as eyesores that were inaccessible to the community, are being transformed into public parks and flourishing hubs of cuisine and commerce. This blog entry will give an overview of two of the most exciting and innovative uses for the numerous abandoned or neglected parking lots in America. First we will dig into Portland’s Depave, a non-profit whose mission is to empower communities by turning paved lots into greenspaces. Second, we will explore lots repurposed specifically for hosting mobile food cart vendors, often called “street food pods.”

 

Depave

Depave is a Portland, Oregon based all-volunteer nonprofit which helps landowners and community members turn concrete and asphalt into gardens and greenspaces in order to benefit both the environment and residents. When rainwater falls onto paved areas, the runoff water collects pollutants and brings them into nearby bodies of water. By removing the pavement, rainwater falls directly into the soil, nourishing the plants instead of flooding our streets.

How it works:

Landowners submit requests to Depave to have their lots redeveloped. When Depave agrees to work on a site, they contact volunteers of varying skill levels to come out and teach each other how to remove the pavement. Each project is both a redevelopment operation and an educational workshop for volunteers interested in depaving their own property. Volunteers learn about soil testing, how to properly operating tools like concrete saws and jackhammers, crowbars, and shovels. In addition, logistical planning information is provided including learning if they need permits, how to obtain them, where to dispose or recycle materials, and planning what greenery they want to plant.

Why it works:

Not only is Depave a community based workforce and training center, they have large support from other community organizations and variety of different funders. They work with other community non-profits, schools, churches, local businesses, and environmental groups. Depave receives funding from the government entities like City of Portland’s environmental services, the State of Oregon, pro-environment foundations, and a number of corporate sponsers.

 

Street Food Cart Parks

Food carts have been around since the beginning of commerce, but have had a recent rise in popularity over the last decade. Almost every type of food imaginable can be found in different carts across the country from Southern California to Maine. Mobile food carts are appealing to vendors because they have lower operating costs than opening a restaurant and lets them operate in high traffic districts which might have rent they could not otherwise afford to pay if they rented a traditional restaurant. There are however, barriers that can make it difficult to operate a food cart, including; competing for on-street spaces, lack of tables for their customers, regulations, and lack of advertising. With so many unused empty lots in every city, many “street food pods” have popped up. Street food pods can solve all of these common hurdles that vendors often go through, so that they can spend more time focusing on providing people with varieties of delicious food!

 

SoMa StrEat Food Park

Next to downtown San Francisco is the SoMa(South of Market) neighborhood. On 11st St and Folsom St, is the goofy named SoMa StrEat Food Park. While the neighborhood is centrally located in San Francisco, there are few restaurants in this part of SoMa. The owner of SoMa StrEat Food Park, Carlos Muera, says that “The inspiration to form a permanent street food pod came from both the lack of opportunities and infinite barriers the current street food vendors in San Francisco are faced with and from the existing permanent pods other states have been comfortably enjoying throughout the last decade” (Examiner). Muera was inspired by the street food cart pods that he saw when visiting Portland, OR and purchased an unused parking lot in an area that was historically industrial, but has seen an increase in residential buildings being built in the neighborhood.

 

 

SoMa StrEat Food Park has over 100 covered seats, restrooms, bike parking, WiFi, and even a projection screen for watching movies and sports. Vending spaces are scheduled in advance and open during both lunch and dinner, seven days a week. Food vendors pay a rent much lower than what they would be paying to operate a full size restaurant in the neighborhood. The food park hosts events like trivia nights, festivals, and sporting game viewing parties to bring people in. SSFP does the bulk of the organizing, they contact press, and do online promoting to keep the trucks in business.

 

Portland, Oregon: The U.S. Food Pod Capital

Portland is home to over 20 food pods and serves as the model for many to emulate and bring home to their own cities. According to Roger Goldingay, who owns two Portland food pods called Cartlandia and Mississippi Marketplace, other cities have had their development commissions come observe his pods (Portland Mercury). Between the two food pods, there are 600 licensed food carts that open up shop.

Alder Street Food Cart Pod in downtown Portland has the largest collection of food carts downtown and offers cover seating, outdoor propane heaters, restrooms, and ATM’s.

A web site called Food Carts Portland has even created a Google map of Portland food carts. The clusters you see on the map are street food pods, most of which were formerly parking lots.

View Food Carts Portland in a larger map
Via Food Carts Portland

 

SOURCES:

 

Gold, A. (2012, July 11). SoMa StrEat Food Park in San Francisco. Retrieved November 1, 2013, from SFGate: http://www.sfgate.com/restaurants/bargainbites/article/SoMa-StrEat-Food-Park-in-San-Francisco-3700480.php

Gray, A. (2012, June 5). SoMa StrEat Food Park, SF’s first permanent food truck lot opens tomorrow. Retrieved November 13, 2013, from Examiner.com: http://www.examiner.com/article/soma-streat-food-park-sf-s-first-permanent-food-truck-lot-opens-tomorrow

Mirk, S. (2009, July 23). Gardeners with Crowbars Are Coming for Your Pavement. Retrieved November 5, 2013, from The Portland Mercury: http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/concrete-action/Content?oid=1517307

Park, S. S. (2013, November 6). SoMa StrEat Food Park. Retrieved November 6, 2013, from SoMa StrEat Food Park: http://somastreatfoodpark.com/

Staff, M. (2011, June 30). One Nation Under Pod: Which Portland Pod Has the Best Collection of Food Carts? Retrieved November 10, 2013, from The Portland Mercury: http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/one-nation-under-pod/Content?oid=4163268

Rose, M. (2012, July 25). It’s a Treat to Eat at StrEat Food Park! Retrieved November 10, 2013, from Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mary-rose/streat-food-park-sf_b_1700492.html