Design a Public Market, Socially A process of transformation in Hollins Market

Szu-Yin Liao, Master of Social Design, Institute College of Art 2015 October - 2016 May

1 TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE

I grew up in Taiwan where I bought food at traditional public markets. My mom 1 PREFACE and merchants taught me what food is and how to appreciate it through my many 2 THE CONTEXT market shopping experiences. These experiences - sweet and salty, aromatic 8 RESEARCH and stimulating, hard and tender - are linked with memories. For me, moments SECONDARY RESEARCH AND PHENOMENA in public markets may not be sophisticated, but they are so true and real. Since QUALITATIVE RESEARCH those young days, public markets have been a source of fascination for me. 26 ANALYSIS As an adult, after moving to the US, I noticed that almost everybody shops FIVE WHYS at supermarkets where food is processed, packaged, and labeled in an THEMES AND INSIGHTS industrialized language. The appreciation of food and interactions between 32 IDEATION merchants and patrons are missing in the current setting. “HOW MIGHT WE” QUESTIONS COMMUNITY DESIGN WORKSHOP This stark difference with the situation in Taiwan drove me to think about the historic way people shopped and interacted with food and people in this country. 40 INTERVENTION This in turn led me to look at public markets, and eventually to this project where THEORY OF CHANGE I have tried to gain a deeper understanding of the role of a public market in a POP-UP HOLLINS MARKET social ecosystem and what opportunities and challenges the public market is 48 REFLECTION facing in modern day America. 50 BIBLIOGRAPHY This thesis explains the path of my project. It starts by explaining what public markets are and why they are valuable to communities. I then explain some of the particular characteristics of Hollins Market, including the challenges it is facing and some other projects that have tried to deal with those challenges. Next, I detail my own secondary and first-hand research, including observations, participation, and interviews with Hollins Market stakeholders. From this, I postulate reasons Hollins Market is facing its current problems and explain how I then worked with stakeholders to develop and carry out an intervention. I conclude by evaluating the project, and considering possible next steps.

1 What does a public market do? But today, in some cities, we are THE CONTEXT In America, a public market is a city- beginning to see a reversal. As the owned facility that features diverse leading national organization for vendors selling a variety of food and public markets, Project for Public What does a public market do? non-food products. Historically, most Spaces notes, “Markets spark urban Why does city need public markets? cities have flourished alongside the revitalization, foster community roots of public markets. Overtime, Why Hollins Market? diversity and improve public health.” the market becomes as substantial The public market renaissance as a religious temple in people’s has begun in many cities along lives, especially in an immigrant with awareness of local, slow food society - newcomers exchange their movement and creative placemaking. background, share their wisdom, and Public markets are regaining their embrace different people with different importance today in cities for their cultures. functions of urban revitalization, food security, economic development and Public markets are the cornerstone in social stability. a community. It is a lively gathering place, a small business catalyst, a Can a thriving public market create food security provider, and indeed, economic opportunities? Can a an opportunity-incubator: the vibrant public market build community opportunities for people to live, resilience? The answer is positive. exchange, share and feel a sense of Establishing a thriving public market belonging. is actually a means of gaining financial sustainability, creating social stability However, the historical public market and building community resilience. retail model was negatively impacted by the rise of fast food chains and supermarkets in the 1950s. Lots of public markets in many cities were forced to end their operation and close their doors .

2 3 Why does Baltimore city operates and manages five of them need public markets? – Avenue Market, Broadway Market, Cross Street Market, Hollins Market The importance of public markets in and Northeast Market, while Lexington Baltimore city should be emphasized Market is under the management for two reasons. First, the city needs of Inc. These two more social-oriented gathering places quasi-governmental organizations for people to interact with and support share the same board of directors, each other. Baltimore is struggling with executive director and marketing many economic and social challenges resources. Some of the markets reside such as poverty, an increasing school in the neighborhoods where they dropout rate, violence, property are most needed, where people are vacancy and homelessness. The city experiencing daily frustrations such has attempted to deal with this issue in as unemployment, poor education, the past by opening recreation centers. and food deserts. These issues can However, without enough funding to potentially be addressed by providing keep them operating, there are not a market with a public mission in a positive environments in the city where neighborhood. people can spend time sharing and learning. In contrast to, for example, a Therefore, revitalizing and optimally recreation center, a successful public utilizing public markets should be market can both sustain itself financially prioritized, especially in marginalized and fulfill the role of a community areas in Baltimore City. This thesis gathering hub. project focused on researching different challenges and opportunities Secondly, instead of needing to build faced by Baltimore public markets and everything from scratch, the city is utilizing social design processes and fortunate to have six public markets methods to explore ways to revitalize still standing, forming the Baltimore public markets and benefit the public market system. Baltimore community. Public Markets Corporation (BPMC)

Baltimore Public Market Map

4 5 Why Hollins Market? volunteers and business owners Overall, Hollins Market needs a collectively contributed their effort and transformative process to bring In order to develop a deeper money to maintain Hollins Market. The back the glorious community spirit understanding of public markets and market used to be the social, cultural and to better serve its people and their role in a community, I chose and civic hub of Baltimore City. Hollins neighborhoods. Hollins Market and southwest Baltimore Market was the heart of community as my research target. I picked it for its spirit. three unique attributes: proximity to food deserts, its representative market Last but not least, Hollins Market is in building and history, and a changing the middle of seven neighborhoods community. in southwest Baltimore: Barre Circle, Franklin Square, Hollins Roundhouse, First, according to the Johns Hopkins , Pigtown, Poppleton, and Center for a Livable Future, which Union Square. Each neighborhood has conducted the “Mapping Baltimore different socioeconomic levels and City’s Food Environment: 2015 Report,” characteristics. People describe Hollins Hollins Market is abutting food desert Market as a place sandwiched between areas on the north and west end. This gentrification and blight in southwest fact indicates that the area is under Baltimore. It is surrounded by the resourced and people have limited Poppleton redevelopment project and options for healthful food. As a public the University of Maryland BioPark, and market, Hollins Market has a great high vacancy and intensive violence. social responsibility to fulfill. Hollins Market could and should play an important role in these racially and Secondly, established in 1836, Hollins economically diverse neighborhoods Market still preserves its historic to ensure social equality for different building which is the Baltimore’s only populations. remaining two-story public market building. The second floor used to be a community gathering center until the 1970s. At that time, due to maintenance needs, community

The empty second floor of Hollins Market. 6 7 SECONDARY RESEARCH & RESEARCH IDENTIFY CHALLENGES Disconnection between Hollins Market and the I investigated how Hollins Market functions and the Declining business and surrounding community relationship between Hollins Market and southwest Baltimore empty spaces neighborhoods. Based on the news, previous Hollins Market- As BPMC mentioned in a brochure, related projects and my interview with the executive director of The Baltimore public market system is “the markets are the last stronghold BPMC, I identified three phenomena that describe the current not perceived as performing well. The of independent food merchants who situation. Then, I went in the field to do detailed qualitative Baltimore Sun reports that “for decades trade on personalized service and research for more in depth insights. Baltimore has wrestled with falling the quality of their merchandise in sales at its public markets.” Before a an atmosphere that still reflects the public market brings social value to a community around it.” However, the community, it should first invigorate truth is that a challenging obstacle is itself. As The Project for Public Spaces sensed in Hollins Market - it is hardly indicates, “The social benefits of keeping up with the change of the public markets are achieved through community. economic strength, not the other way around.” In my interview with the BPMC executive director, Robert Thomas, he Hollins Market and the surrounding mentioned that “The biggest challenge three blocks used to host over 300 for the success of the market is the stalls, most of which were operated disconnection between community by immigrants. Now it is home to and markets.” The community is only 11 vendors. There are still lots of certainly changing. As people started empty spaces to be filled. It is a hard cooking less and eating out more, sell for both empty stalls and existing fast food stands selling chicken wings businesses. Throughout this eight and pretzels began popping up all month project, the only ownership of over the markets. In the 1950s, when a business that turned over was that of fast food became a trend, public the cellphone shop. markets adapted fried food and

8 9 carry-out business. Today, after the conversations I had with researchers CASE STUDIES public input, and soliciting the view passing of more time, however, the who conducted the Southwest Hollins Market: A Great and ideas of people who actually public is starting to focus on health Partnership Vision Plan, the reason for Market District for Baltimore use the market, such as customers and changing their diet. Nevertheless, limited implementation is that there is and workers in the market is to Baltimore public markets are not agile no one to connect the market with the 2012, Project for Public Spaces be completed and will be truly enough to follow people’s dining and community to execute the plan. This insightful.” shopping behaviors and have not yet says, focusing on people’s connections responded to the local, organic and is the key to move the progress to the Quotes: healthy food movement. next level. “The social benefits of public markets are achieved through economic In these projects, Hollins Market A hot topic, unimplemented strength, not the other way around.” projects was viewed as one entity due to the researcher’s external point of view. “80% of the success of a public space During the time 2012 to 2015 there In contrast, I shifted to an internal or district is management.” was a lot of work and focus on Hollins perspective and recognized key Market. I studied three projects (see stakeholders in four categories: “Today, there is no organization or the following table and the highlighted residents, shoppers, market Primary Goal: entity to bring stakeholders together information) that were conducted by management and merchants. The Identify short and long term targeted to plan and implement outdoor events different organizations: Project for scope of this thesis is focused on investments in physical improvements and markets, or even just to keep Public Spaces, Southwest Partnership, Hollins Market itself instead of the in and around the market. people informed and connected about and Center for Social Design. Clearly, whole market district. My goal is to what is going on the neighborhood. revitalizing Hollins Market is an existing use human centered design process Highlighted challenges: The Baltimore Public Market popular idea. These projects focused to recognize stakeholders’ needs, Lack of fresh food at market Corporation, by virtue of having no on improving building infrastructure, generate insights from stakeholders • Should be the destination for office on-site manager, lacks the capacity to branding, accessibility and creating a and reconnect the market and the workers, visitors, and students serve this role.” market district. community. • Lack of management resource – should staff a regular on-site market However, little improvement or implementation followed. This manager raised another question: why has • Highlighted solutions: nothing changed? According to the • “A next step of aggregating more

10 11 Hollins Market District Vision Primary Goal: Practice Based Studio - Primary Goal: Plan Re-establish the market and its Hollins Market Activate Hollins Market to engage the surrounding streets as a social and community in a shared social space. 2015, Southwest Partnership economic hub of the Southwest 2015, Center for Social Design community. Highlighted solution: Branding and graphic design Highlighted challenges: intervention • Poor vendor mix within the markets • Lack of seating and amenities for Quotes: patrons “As you enter into the market there is • Poor connectivity to the surrounding a lack of unity and visual appeal, it is district dark and people are not encouraged • Security in and around the market to overstay their visit, it is not a place that invites social exchanges between • Vacant or underutilized storefront locals.” facing the market “Many residents pointed [to] Hollins Highlighted solutions: Market as a “local gem” as well as many • Increase activity and use of the food places within the market.” market • Celebrate the historic character of the market and make it a community gathering space

12 13 QUALITATIVE RESEARCH QUALITATIVE RESEARCH TIMELINE

Be present, Be consistent 10.19.15 First visit of all Baltimore public markets 10.24.15 Broadway Market design workshop with the Social Design cohort Qualitative research methods are used a lot in design research processes, 11.3.15 Management interview especially for social design projects. It is to gain an understanding of underlying 11.7.15 Observation and Conversation in Hollins Market expectations, opinions, and motivations of people;provide insights into 11.10.15 Neighborhood workers interview problems; and help to develop ideas. I used observation, participation and 11.13.15 Management interview volunteering, conversation and interview research methods to find out root 11.20.15 Attended Southwest Partnership committee meeting causes of these three phenomena - slow business, disconnection and failure to 11.21.15 Residents interview implementation. 12.2.15 Phone call with previous Hollins Market project researchers 12.4.15 Introduced myself to merchants 12.4.15 Residents interview 12.6.15 Volunteered in Jingle Jam 12.12.15 Residents interview 12.12.15 Observation and Conversation in Hollins Market 12.13.15 Participated in Union Square Cookie Tour 12.20.15 Management interview 1.25.16 Attended Southwest Partnership annual meeting 2.20.16 Visited Hollins market and scheduled interviews with merchants 2.24.16 Merchants interview

14 15 KEY OBSERVATIONS PARTICIPATION AND VOLUNTEERING

Hollins Market: Santa” and live music in the market. Through volunteering and participation in many different community events, I However, some merchants had discovered different characters and personalities of neighborhoods. People in • Lack of food diversity: 1 seafood negative feedback of the live music the area care about each other. Also, they pay attention to housing, education, stall, 1 cellphone stall, 1 gift shop and safety issues. The sense of community here is strong and getting stronger. being too loud. stall, 2 sandwich stalls, 1 meat stall, I also noticed something that lots of activities take place around Hollins Market, 1 meat and deli stall, 1 poultry stall, Community: but not in it or with it. 1 produce stall, 1 carry out still, 1 convenience store. • Vibrant and active neighborhood Jingle Jam • 11 vendors: 8 Asian (7 Korean, 1 associations Neighborhood: Hollins Roundhouse Chinese), 2 Caucasian, and 1 African- • People gather at restaurants as social American gathering places (Zella’s Pizzeria, Mi Many donors and volunteers participated to provide Christmas presents for • The products offered neither reflect Ranchito) neighborhood kids and parents - more than 200 hundred happy kids showed up. the culture of the community nor the • Art is prevailing in the community: Love and giving is a theme in Hollins Roundhouse, especially to children. merchants. Sowebo art and music festival, Black • The patrons’ demographic does Cherry Puppet Theater not reflect the composition of the community. Union Square Cookie tour • EBT money is the main source of market revenue Neighborhood: Union Square • Not a welcoming market. Lots of warning signs such as “No loitering,” 30 housed participated in the open house event. There were over 200 tickets “20 mins staying time” and a locked sold. Welcoming and embracing is the theme here, especially to young, restroom energetic people. • There is a merchant association but no one comes to the meeting. • Hollins Market Merchants Association has tried organizing activities such as “Take a photo with

16 17 CONVERSATION AND INTERVIEW

It is important to listen to and get direct feedback and opinions from different stakeholders. I had conversations with people when I was in the market or neighborhoods. I also interviewed stakeholders: community members, market management and merchants. With these conversation and interviews, I built personas to represent different perspectives, opinions and expectations of different people.

PERSONAS

At the end of the Jingle Jam event, I saw a kid running across street, saying “I am having so much fun” with a big smile on his face.

18 19 Frustrated I am frustrated. Hollins Market is only a Exhausted I am exhausted. I work 70-80 hours a week. I Management small portion on my pIate. I am sandwiched Merchant don’t have time for meetings or to think about between merchants and the city. But I’m the future of my business. I like working here not getting any support from either one. I because I like the history and tradition. I love don’t know if anyone cares. I don’t how to interacting with my loyal customers. Some deal with the merchants’ problems. And we of them drive from the county to buy my are so disconnected from the surrounding products. But business is getting really slow. neighborhoods. Hollins Market does not I barely make a living. We need support from make it to the top of the priority list in terms the government to make a bigger change. of getting investment and renovation from The management should do something. My BPMC. parents used to work in the market too. It has changed so much. If the market stays as it is Quotes: now, I cannot sell my business. I don’t want my • “The biggest challenge for the success of son to take over my business either. I think it is the market is the disconnection between better for him. community and markets.” • “The city is trapped, it does not want to move.” Quotes: • “How do you manage their cultural • “We don’t know who live [sic] here. Don’t problems?” know who our customers are.” • “My job is to keep the markets clean, safe • “I don’t do delivery. It is too dangerous and open.” outside.” • “I prefer to not work on Mondays.” Expectations: • “The empty stalls are problematic.” We need people to come and tell us what • “People say that everything will be better in we do right and what we do wrong. three years, I hope that is true. I am waiting We need more support and attention from for that...” the city. • “Anything is better than nothing.”

Expectations: More new businesses, more people, less stress.

20 21 Helpless I feel helpless. I really want to see more Angry Merchant I am angry. Sometimes I don’t feel Merchant changes in the market. I have my social media respected. The market is hopeless. I just page and I do promotions. We should unite want to take care of my customers. together as a family. We should help ourselves, but it is so hard to get people on board. Quotes: • “Not a big fan of the manager. He is not Quotes: putting the market interest in heart.” • “The bureaucracy was the reason. • “In five years, everyone will be closed.” Everything has to be decided by the board.” • “I don’t trust him for that.” • “If they have a problem, they should say it.” • “We did not vote the president for this.” • “I don’t know how to make them come.” • “Sell, sell, sell whole day, what other • “She is young, her vision is too big, beyond things can I describe?” what the market can provide. So she left.” Expectations: Expectations: We deserve to be treated better. We want to People working together actively. be better informed.

22 23 Disappointed I am disappointed. There is a second floor that Regular Shopper I come here because I have a tight budget. Resident we cannot use. It would be nice if I could see the I cook for my family. I know the chicken guy uniqueness of Hollins Market. The food is not fresh. here. Sometimes I come in just to talk to There is nothing to offer. I don’t need that much fried people that I know. My grandma came here, chicken! But it is hard to get the market changed. my aunt came here, my mom came here, so Hard to deal with the city. Our community is diverse I come here too! The market is changing so and we have people from different parts of the nation much. It really needs some help. and even the world. But the market is not thinking about catering to those people. Quotes: “I don’t care what kind of food.” Quotes: • “The risk is always on vendors, not on the market Expectations: side. No one want to go in.” • Keep the old fashioned family tradition of • “The market should help itself first.” the market. • “We are diverse, we have people from sixty • Keep the good merchant and customer countries in this neighborhood.” relationships. • “I wish the market offered goods from other countries for the people here.” • “Why don’t they stay open late for us?” • “If they had more food diversity, I would definitely shop here.”

Expectations: • To see more food variety. • To have Hollins Market become more open and be part of the community.

24 25 FIVE WHYS people’s perceptions are more likely to ANALYSIS be built on hearsay and bias. To suss out root causes of any phenomena, continually asking “why” This is another example: Hollins Market Five Whys the key. I developed a five why chart is perceived as a fried chicken market, by asking the question: why is Hollins but it is not. For non-regular shoppers, Themes and Insights Market experiencing slow business? the market is all about fried chicken or other fried food, even though the fried Slow business is caused by lack of chicken stall has been closed since my interaction between Hollins Market project started. Regular shoppers and and the community; Lack of interaction other merchants perceived the fried is caused by miscommunication of chicken stall as the most successful merchants and management and business in the market. They don’t also merchants and the community. know that the cost was actually higher Miscommunication is caused by than the profit margin, so the stall had different expectations and perceptions. to close down.

Everyone has different expectation of the market, and also, everyone tends to only look at their situations and overlook other people’s difficulties. For example, residents often ask, “Why don’t they stay open late for us? We have to go to work during the day.” What they may not know is merchants already work 70-80 hours per week, and they cannot afford more staff. Merchants often say, “This neighborhood is not safe, no one wants to come here during the night.” I realized that without interaction,

26 27 Hollins Market is experiencing slow business

Existing business moved New business is out not coming in

Too few people come No flexibility of Hollins market is too No vendor Too expensive to Bad The risk of failing to Hollins market changing new out-dated for young association, start a new stall marketing is greater than menu people vendors are not ($50,000-120,000) and sales for being successful united new market business

People don’t It is not convenient People go to People don’t have pleasant Limitation and Different Limited Mismanagement, Merchant association is Miscommunication Merchants are All risk is at the feel safe to go to go other market experience at the market efficiency of the category charged capacity to weak marketing not viewd as a among people with woking long hours vendor end, not bureaucracy different rates make positive and promotion functioning different cultures and too tired to public market operation change organizatio n and languages participate The neighborhood Frequent Catcalling Lack of good Opening hours Existing Hollins Residents go Residents Bad Lack of Lack of Lack of is perceived as a violence and drug are not catering public merchants do market does to farmers shop at Price impression seating cleanliness freashness Merchants have to dangerous place Incident dealing to people who Share/ compete No on-site transportation not go out to not attract market for Rite for low of too many and food Some of the Some of the stay more days work during the resources with other manager. And the understand tourists to fresher price produce empthy variety merchants feel merchants don’t open for food day Baltimore public current manager is their customer visit organic and other stalls misrepresented feel that they are stamp money Too many markets loaded with too base produce daily supplies being heard users housing vacancy much work There is no safe and Lack of The uniqueness People like welcoming opinion interaction of Hollins local, Opening hours feedback loop Different between market is not seasonal People are Price Rite has to be changed perceptions merchants and well presented food price-sensitive more but there is not of merchants residents and prefer shopping a disicion and residents convenience options making process`

Five Whys Chart

28 29 THEMES AND INSIGHTS • Lots of activities happen around To capture what I’ve learned from the Hollins Market, but not in or with it. Different expectations and research and sum up the analysis, I • Hollins Market does not respond to perceptions clustered insights synthesized into the art culture around it. three themes: miscommunication, • People from inside and outside the • Merchants are expected to have expectation, and lack of interaction. market care about similar issues an ever evolving business plan, such as safety and commercial to conduct market surveys and Lack of interaction development and yet there is no promotions, yet merchants are not platform to aggregate people’s capable of doing that and no proper • Human interaction and connection energy training is provided. get people who live and work here • Both the market and the together in the area and yet people neighborhood are negatively from inside and outside the market Miscommunication perceived by each other - the market don’t interact with each other. merchants think the neighborhood • Lack of interaction with the • Transparency is needed in the is dangerous and neighborhood surrounding community is the decision-making process to fix the residents think the market is biggest source of revenue loss for damaged relationships between neglecting their needs. Hollins Market. merchants and management. • Lots of empty spaces in Hollins Without support from merchants, the Market are not being used and yet market can not move forward. the community needs more places • Language barriers are amplified in for business opportunities and social cross-cultural communication, which engagement. mainly requires empathy and respect • Hollins Market is passively waiting from the beginning. for people to come and change the • A top-down mentality perpetuates current situation. the bad relationship between • Without interaction, people’s management and merchants. perceptions are more likely to be built on hearsay and bias.

30 31 IDEATION IDEATION TIMELINE

Timeline 3.9.16 Held organizing meeting with Southwest Partnership How might we questions 3.17.16 Invited residents to workshop Community design workshop 3.21.16 Invited management and merchants to workshop 3.26.16 Conducted the community workshop

32 33 HOW MIGHT WE? COMMUNITY DESIGN Community assets WORKSHOP Before ideating and advancing any Highlighted assets: intervention, I reframed my insights as Historic architecture, neighborhood associations, Cookie Tour, Jingle Jam, With help from Southwest Partnership, “how might we” questions to switch the international influence, community spirit, age/economic diversity, oldest market I was able to put together a community gears to ideational and innovative level. in the city, Hollins Market second floor, circulator, barber shops, Sowebo festival, workshop with 23 participants from With these questions, which focus on affordability, business potential, livable city, proximity to DC, B & O museums six different neighborhoods. There both social and business components, were three sessions. First, I brought I brainstormed with stakeholders at a Also, people listed out some assets that are debateable as assets: people to the market to shop. Not just community design workshop to find Cray-cray, eccentricities, gentrification shopping, but creating a more personal new ideas and opportunities, and then shopping experience. Each person developed the following interventions. went with a positive attribute in mind, such as love, tradition or relationship, then purchased something in Hollins How might we leverage Market that represents the attribute. In the second session, we listed out existing community assets community assets and brainstormed and create an opportunity for how to improve the market. Then in the stakeholders to communicate third session we shared our findings and interact in Hollins with the market manager and the Market? merchant association president.

How might we leverage existing businesses to incentivize southwest Baltimore residents to patronize Hollins Market?

34 35 Let’s shop at Hollins Market

Participants ‘ worksheets

36 37 Brainstorm ideas Infrastructure Outdoor and indoor seating, lighting, New Business/Products parking, plants, windows, second floor, Pickles, olives, international food paint, sidewalks decoration (Korean, Mexican), something unique in the neighborhood, community farmed Special service for certain groups chicken eggs, flower, wine, beer, bakery Church, students, employees in (cakes, bread, gluten free) ice cream, neighborhood, city employees, farm to table, fresh food and veggies, policemen, regulars discount, open late raw bar, fried chicken, smoothie, Amish for working people merchants, cooked bacon Community Events Promotions Live music, kid’s day, puppy day, bacon Loyalty punch card (partner up with festival, community yoga Zella’s and Mi Ranchito) market tours, B note, coupons, newspaper Cleanliness ads, sandwich board, free sampling, Trash cans, ventilation, regular tasting, cooking demo, circulator ads, sweeping, recycling, less smelly market wayfinding signage, smiles and Intervention customer service, signs of vendors’ stories, discounts

Ways to use empty spaces Pop-up shops, open to outside vendors, local artist stalls, used book stall, art gallery, neighborhood association stalls, community bulletin board

38 39 INTERVENTION THEORY OF CHANGE To develop strategic interventions, and to keep on track of how and why a desired change take place in a particular context and period, I built a Theory of Change map to be followed. Theory of Change Timeline Vision: Pop-up Hollins Market Southwest Baltimore becomes a thriving, safe community.

Ultimate Goal: Hollins Market becomes a vibrant, social public market that is highly engaged with the community.

Mid-term Goal: More and more people patronize Hollins Market. Then the market builds financial sustainability that supports more social services for people in need.

Short-term Goal: Hollins Market is better connected and serving more neighborhood residents.

Near-term Goal: The management should prioritize facilitating a better communication channel and build connection and trust among stakeholders.

40 41 INTERVENTION TIMELINE POP-UP HOLLINS MARKET

Through the workshop, participants generated lots of great ideas. Subsequently, 4.6.16 Invited merchants to the proposal meeting the market management, Hollins Roundhouse Neighborhood Association and I 4.13.16 Proposed pop-up shop idea to the community organized a pop-up shop event in Hollins Market to test them out. With the go- 4.14.16 Proposed pop-up shop idea to merchants ahead from the management and the help from the neighborhood, we were able 4.15.16 Held organizing meeting with the market manager and to set up a kids’ drawing table and invite musicians, artists, and new businesses to Hollins Roundhouse Neighborhood Association president come perform and sell their products. On one hand, the event was to encourage 4.22.16 Invited merchants to participate in the pop-up shop event the market’s workers to interact with the neighborhood. On the other hand, it was 4.27.16 Invited merchants and took pictures for making signs to create an opportunity for non-regular shoppers to come in and explore Hollins 5.7.16 Conducted the pop-up shop event Market. This event served as a prototype for both social engagement and new business opportunities.

42 43 Main purposes • Let’s fill up the emptiness Strategies Bring more vendors and foot traffic to • The public market is for the populate the market. • Draw on the assets of the Sowebo community art community and invite local artist I hoped to encourage more interaction and musicians to participate. among stakeholders. The event was to • Invite church or other education inspire residents to dream and change groups to facilitate the drawing the current situation in Hollins Market activity where patrons are prompted and to show market management that with the question, “What do you wish the community needs a better and to have in Hollins Market or in the more welcoming public market. Finally, neighborhood?” I wanted to demonstrate to everyone • Invite new businesses to participate: that a prosperous public space could a coffee shop, a bakery or baked give back a positive community spirit. goods retailer, or an ice cream shop. • Create a Facebook event page and • Get merchants on board - keep people informed. approach with a purpose and • Post posters on the walls in and out proposal and show them how much of Hollins Market. the community cares • Produce promotion signs for existing In order to make the event relevant for businesses. existing businesses, I invited merchants to feature one of their products as a Mother’s Day special. Eventually, I was able to get eight merchants to participate in the event. Some of them provided special discounts, some brought in special products and some featured their best sellers.

44 45 Participating Vendors • Keep foot traffic going to prevent vendors from leaving early. • Artists: Mijiza Creations, Fly: Folded • Some people said the west and & Fiber Gifts, Cassandra Kapsos east side of the market felt like two Photography and Design Services, different places - a traditional market Pub & Paint, BMore Awesome Inc and artist’s market. • Non-profits: CEASE smoking • The wall where I posted posters cessation classes started collecting other event • Musician: David Allen Thomas - posters. Creating a community Banjo musician bulletin board at Hollins Market was • New Businesses: Cups Coffeehouse, suggested. Bottoms Up Bagels, You Scream Ice Cream (showed high interest in participating)

Critical feedback from One of the merchants said, participants “Thank you for doing this. • Consider the possibility of No one has done this for us.” poor weather and necessary accommodations for live music. • Better recruit volunteers to facilitate children’s drawing activity. • Some people asked if the children’s activity is regular. They would like to bring their grandkids back every week. • Provide more welcoming facilities - unlock the restroom and open main entrance for increased visibility.

46 47 Market has proved its great potential to better serve the community and encourage merchants to self-organize REFLECTION and I am confident it will one day merchants by consider extending a better functioning Hollins Market represent the community spirit. the opening hours one day per week Merchant Association. Throughout the project, my tasks were to 8 p.m. and closing on Mondays to listen and understand, facilitate when business is typically very slow. conversation and create interactions. Next Steps With the success of collective change, This work does not seem to be “design,” but it is really the first step It will be important to keep the focus on of moving things forward in a system both better communication between to create positive results. It is not an merchants and management and also object but people’s attitudes and strengthening a connection between relationships that social designers help the market and the community. make beautiful. Community: Through this project in Hollins Market, • Collectively build a community I learned to respect and accommodate bulletin board with the Hollins stakeholders’ various needs and Roundhouse Neighborhood barriers and leveraged shared assets Association to encourage more and energy to build a creative public social engagement in Hollins Market. place. • Keep the momentum and continue

the pop-up shop event to foster Thanks to the help and support from more interactions and attract Baltimore Public Market Corporation, potential businesses to fill up empty Southwest Partnership, and many stalls. community members, I was able to accomplish this project. The transformation of Hollins Market is an Merchants: ever-evolving process. I believe with I suggest management approach more and more people’s participation, merchants with risk-free proposals that Hollins Market will truly become a do not place the burden of innovation public market for everyone. Hollins on merchants. For example, the management could assist merchants

48 49 Bibliography

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• Five questions with Baltimore Public Markets Corp. executive director Robert Thomas. Baltimore Sun. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.baltimoresun.com/ business/bs-bz-robert-thomas-five-questions-20150227-story.html

• Hollins Market Report: A Great Market District For Baltimore. PPS. (2012).

• Hollins Market District Vision Plan. Southwest Partnership. (2015)

• Practice-based studio - Hollins Market. Center for Social Design. (2015)

• Face lift for city markets. (2000, September 8). Retrieved from http://articles. baltimoresun.com/2000-09-08/news/0009080081_1_public-markets-city- markets-market-system

• Baltimore City’s Past Present and Future. (2009). Retrieved from http:// baltimorefuture.blogspot.com/2009/07/hollins-market-sandwhiched-between. html

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