City
Street Vendors are Ugly. Help Make Them Better
You've seen them everywhere: the ugly yellow-hooded hot dog vendors. Saviour of the inebriated and hungry. While the the stuff in them might be appealing, the aesthetic they project is anything but.
A few people want to do something about that.
Multistory Complex, in partnership with Ryerson University and Alphabet City , is launching a vending cart redesign competition.
Multistory Complex, who aims to "to democratize urban planning processes through public education and engagement in urban planning issues and decision-making"; is hoping that inspired individuals will submit design ideas that could be rolled out to all street vendors in the city (pending approval, of course).
From the details of the completion:
The Street Food Vending Project aims to introduce tasty, affordable, healthy, culturally diverse and locally sourced food to Toronto's streets. We will attempt to change current health regulations that limit Toronto's street food to precooked meat on a bun. We'll work to build partnerships between vendors and local farmers, gardeners and kitchens. We'll attempt to reform licensing and permitting regulations to bring street food to neighbourhoods across the City, including those without access to healthy and affordable food. We'll listen to the experiences of vendors and help them identify possible employment and training opportunities. We will listen to vendor advocates, food security advocates, restaurants, planners, designers, City divisions, and social service organizations in an effort to break down disciplinary silos and encourage innovative solutions to Toronto's vending culture.
The winner will have their prototype made and displayed at Alphabet City's Food Festival over the Labour Day weekend.
Considerations include the environmental impact, distribution around the city, access to decent food, and the social spaces vending carts create.
Discussion
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I think this is a great idea. Toronto is a very diverse town and the food the street vendors sell should reflect that. I mean precooked meat on a bun is great after a night at the bar, but a street vendor selling Indian/Chinese/Vietnamese or even Vegan food would be appreciated by lots within this city.
brilliant idea. street food in toronto is shit compared to the rest of the world.
At least our hotdogs are better than NYC.
I cannot wait to enter (and WIN) the competition!!!
The vending cart redesign competition results will be exhibited at the Design Exchange as part of FOOD Festival starting Sept. 29th...
And a prototype will be built and stationed somewhere in the city for the duration of the festival....
Srteet Vendors. In England we run a project called "Feed People With KITES.' For more than fifteen years we have successfull sold our kites on the streets of the UK earing bewteen 200 to 500 Euros per day. Proven fact.
Our kites can help feed famlies and stem the tied of these dark economic days. Caontact me if you need some more information.
Richard