Read Now Streets of Dreams: How Cities Can Create Economic Opportunity by Knocking Down Protectionist Barriers to Street Vending PDF
Street vending is, and always has been, a part of the American economy and a fixture of urban life. Thanks to low start-up costs, the trade has offered countless entrepreneurs—particularly immigrants and others with little income or capital—opportunities for self-sufficiency and upward mobility. At the same time, vendors enrich their communities by providing access to a wide variety of often low-cost goods and by helping to keep streets safe and vibrant.With the booming popularity of food trucks selling creative, cutting-edge cuisines, as well as a sagging economy, interest in street selling is perhaps greater than ever. Nonetheless, complicated webs of regulations in cities nationwide tie up would-be vendors, making it needlessly difficult or even impossible to set up shop in many cities.This report examines five common types of vending regulations in the 50 largest U.S. cities. All but five major cities have at least one of these types of regulations, while 31 have two or more.Visit ij.org for more details
