4 Comments

Nice column Seth!

Providence lost its enthusiasm for all the little shops as its civic life deteriorated, as more and more homes became absentee owned, as urban renewal cut places off and as the automobile wrecked the pedestrian friendly quality of our neighborhoods. Without getting into a big discussion about race, it was an attempt to get people off the streets because there was trouble on the streets. The old timers were scared and fleeing; values were dropping (which changes everything, for most Americans, at least). It was a completely different dynamic what we see here today, thankfully.

The internet is really boosting small resi-centric commercial spaces, as are more equal sharing of domestic responsibilities. It's a great direction to be headed for the small scale neighborhoods that characterize Providence!

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Since many readers probably have heard that America is overwhelmed & overbuilt with commercial, especially retail space, it might be helpful to explore the differences between these small commercial spaces in pre-war cities vs suburban retail. Doing the numbers with some narrative around how they can be flexible for the owners would be a great addition to the conversation.

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I really like your point of view; I could have had a small quilt shop in our home!

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