How local really works
Supporting local is more than just where you spend your money, it’s about about how you live your life.
Do you walk or bike regularly? Besides going to work, could you go weeks without driving your car?
If the answer to either of these questions is no, then a) your neighborhood is not serving you well b)you live in an automobile dominated area or c)you don’t know how to live without your car.
As we are now experiencing the coronavirus quarantine, restaurants are becoming life lines for many and big box grocery stores ignite dread and fear. Restaurants are learning to sell things that add to your intrigue such as family meals, staples such as sauces, homemade bread, butter and produce from local farmers and learning how to market items that you love and can now enjoy at home.
We are learning a new way to live, seeking out ways to get food without putting ourselves in danger, Personally my existence in East Austin during this time has provided an opportunity for me to feel more connected to the community around me.
I already had a predisposition and appreciation for local. A belief that strong neighborhoods are key to a successful city and an understanding of the economics of a local first economy.
In order to support this way of living, you have to change your habits. If you don’t drive, you limit the distance you are willing to travel so you start to appreciate the places that are close to you and do more research to find them.
Development is driven by dollars and big box grocery stores drive up rents because they attract large amounts of people to a consolidated area; dry cleaners, gyms, boutique food providers and mostly chain restaurants flock to these shopping centers to provide convenience to these same customers by allowing a one stop shop.
However if you could fill these needs in your neighborhood, you wouldn’t have to drive 15 minutes, brave traffic, find a place to park and wait in long lines. You could get fresh air, exercise and take a car off the road lessening traffic for everyone.
City officials tend to limit in-fill development (development within already dense areas) because they claim residents don’t want hordes of people parking cars up and down the street, blocking driveways and making it unsafe.
However if everyone’s neighborhood provides a place to grab your basic essentials, a cup of coffee or fresh produce and a place to grab a meal with your friends and family then you wouldn’t need parking at all.
Let’s all breathe in the fresh air and take a walk, it could be the best thing you can do for small business.
