Discovery Green Marketplace
UPDATE: Tiffany Tyler added some helpful information in the comments below. Thanks Tiffany!
- – - – -
I mentioned my Saturday trip to Discovery Green earlier today, but I also had occasion to go back on Sunday afternoon. The park hosts a “Green Marketplace” every Sunday. While it isn’t the city’s largest farmer’s market (really there were just a couple stands with produce) the event does draw an interesting mix of local businesses. Among those present this past Sunday were a gelato stand, an organic t-shirt maker, and an animal shelter.
This marketplace works because it has a place to be: the Crawford Promenade (shown above). By providing this flexible space along with the remaining mix of activities that fill the park, Discovery Green creates a unique opportunity for these people to come out and make a few bucks at minimal cost (the market is run by Central City Coop, which charges $75 per year for a vendor’s permit).
But the biggest benefit of the market is that is helps provide a critical mass of people in the park. Those few people who are are working for the market provide a little spark of activity, and that helps draw a crowd. Away from the market the park was heavily used all day Sunday.
We’re getting close to the one-year anniversary of Discovery Green, and it’s a major cause for celebration. I think this park represents a kind of turning point in Houston’s history, where we’ve finally got a critical mass of urban activity going on in the city center that appeals to people of all ages and all walks of life. There’s something really wonderful about being able to go downtown and have fun just hanging out in the city, even if you don’t spend much (or any) money while you’re there!
People in Houston have had a tendency to dismiss the idea that this kind of quality urban life could exist here. Whether the argument was “it’s just not our culture,” or, “it’s too hot to go outside,” or “people just don’t want to go Downtown,” Discovery Green offers resounding evidence that urban life can and will thrive in Houston if we build a place for it. The way we live has everything to do with the way we build.
If you’re free next Sunday afternoon, I encourage you to take a trip to the park. Enjoy the sights and sounds, and remember that not very long ago this wonderful place was a parking lot. It’s amazing how much, and how quickly, things can change.
Categories: sustain
Tags: Central City Coop, Discovery Green, Green Marketplace, market, open space, park, pedestrians
Share:
8 Comments
Permalink
“The way we live has everything to do with the way we build.” Very true, and well said.
And agreed that Discovery Green has been a phenomenal success for Houston.
Permalink
Agreed – we went the week before and also picked up some library books that we had transferred to the Disco G express library. I was impressed at the level of activity I saw – reminded me of Europe and relaxing in the park on a weekend over there!
I’m just wondering if the same transition will eventually occur for some of the other parking lots – say some of the adjacent lots. An 11 acre park is nice but it would be really awesome if it is a whole 20-30 acres.
Permalink
Mike,
I agree that there’s tremendous potential remaining in the lots around Discovery Green.
My thought is, I think it would be best if the city’s resources were spent on identifying other potential activity nodes (like DG is now) and investing in those. For example, I’d rather the city create McGowen Green than expand Discovery Green (though it would be great if they did both).
Then the next thing to do would be try and find ways to connect them.
A wild thought experiment: what if there was some sort of ‘green connection’ between Discovery Green and the Theater District?
There was some planning work done for the Main Street Coalition that considered building a diagonal boulevard from roughly Main/Jefferson to Discovery Green. I wonder if anything else came out of that study?
Permalink
I like the idea of McGowen Green as well, but I also like the idea of having a greenway connecting the areas of Toyota Center / GRB / Minute Maid / and the new businesses going up on the other side of the park – maybe with a couple of shaded promenades so that you could walk all the way from the Hilton to Minute Maid without baking in the sun. Discovery Green already goes a long way towards accomplishing this – and already seems pretty crowded even without any residents yet in OPP or the new hotel. I think even more park space right there would be desirable.
I’m not sure what more is needed in our public parks – they seem to have thrown so much into Discovery Green in such a small space? A pool like the one at Sawyer Point in Cincy would be nice somewhere in Houston: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kristan/210130775/ – or grass and trees always works!
I wonder if a Discovery Green Conservancy will undergo expansion plans. I’d be happy to give them a token sum of money – I would think that a substantial portion of expansion costs might be paid for by generous contributions from the public and from the private sector.
I also like the idea of a greenway to the Theater District. Hadn’t heard of McGowen Green before but checked it out here (http://www.mcgowengreen.org/) – looks very cool – would love to see more sketches.
Permalink
I’m so glad you liked the market! For the sake of clarity, I do want to point out a few things:
- The application fee for a vendor is $75, but each vendor also pays a weekly booth fee to be present at market. The exact fee varies by the type of business (and non-profit partners like the no-kill animal shelter group pay nothing at all, even for an application fee).
- the entire market is focused on sustainable practices. So while we currently have only a few growers with us, they all use organic and sustainable practices on their farms. Ask them about it!
- our small business vendors are also using sustainable practices wherever possible. Our organic clothing vendor and “green” cleaning product vendor are just two examples of this. Our prepared food vendors also use organic inputs wherever possible.
- We are a growing market, having launched at Discovery Green as a Thursday afternoon market when the park opened last April. In January, we transitioned to Sunday afternoons, and have enjoyed a tremendous uptick in attendance. We are poised for even more growth in the coming months
We welcome everyone to Green Market at Discovery Green, and invite you to stop by our market information booth to learn more about us, and how you can become involved as a volunteer to bring Green into the heart of downtown Houston.
Tiffany Tyler
Chairman, Central City Co-op
Permalink
Tiffany,
Thanks for the clarification! The market was a lot of fun, and I hope it continues to do well!
Permalink
I will be there this Sunday Tiffany.
P.S. are there bike racks located in the park?
Permalink
To ARP:
Yes there are bike racks (although I can’t picture where they are). Scroll to the bottom of this page:
http://www.discoverygreen.com/ecopark/
-Mike
One Trackback
[...] drawn to is worth more than any place people are not drawn to. For the best local example, look at Discovery Green. Land prices on the parking lots around the park have shot up in the last couple years because more [...]