How many of us can obtain staple groceries or household supplies—the most common errand—within a short walk of home? The rise of big-box shopping has made the corner store or bodega an endangered species, yet there are examples of resurgent neighborhood retail meeting essential needs in both innovative and familiar ways. (And community gardens and other local food initiatives that aren’t retail stores have an important role to play too!)
One essential but easily overlooked step in bringing food back to the neighborhood? Stop subsidizing expensive automobile infrastructure—the stroads and giant parking lots that give the big-box model an unfair advantage.
Essential Reading:
