"If you have people who are willing to try, you have to bet on them."
This week is our fall member drive. Consistent with our grassroots approach to making our cities and towns stronger, we rely for funding on a broad base of supporters. For this week only, new members that sign up at $10 or more per month will get an autographed copy of the new Strong Towns book, along with a lost chapter, a companion reading list, and an invitation to the inaugural book club coming January 2020. Will you become a member today?
Andy and Rigo Diaz. (Via Facebook)
Every hero has an origin story, and Andy Diaz has one of our favorites.
When a big grocery store chain pulled out of his Peoria, Illinois neighborhood, Diaz and his neighbors suddenly found themselves living in a food desert, without easy access to fresh fruits and vegetables. At this point, Diaz, his family, and his neighbors had a choice.
Option #1: They could lobby city officials to use huge tax incentives to lure another chain store to the area. And while the lobbying efforts may succeed, the chain store would have little-to-no vested interest in the neighborhood (beyond making a profit), no long-term skin in the game. The store would give locals a place to spend but not to sell. It would have no connection to the neighborhood’s past. And those tax incentives would have mortgaged the future in a way that ultimately made the community weaker.
Option #2: Diaz and his neighbors could take matters into their own hands.
You can guess which direction they chose.
Diaz looked around his neighborhood and noticed not only the lack of fresh produce. He also saw vacant lots that could be converted from eyesores to productive land. And he saw a chance to spend more time with his retired father, a skilled gardener (and Andy Diaz’s hero).
And that’s the origin story of Urban Acres, the agricultural cooperative Diaz founded in 2018: the opportunity to provide neighbors with fresh produce, and the opportunity to hang out with his dad. How great is that?
We last spoke to Andy Diaz in July, when Jacob Moses interviewed him for an episode of our It’s the Little Things podcast. We reached out to Diaz for an update this week…and it’s incredible how much has happened in just the last four months.
The new home of Springboard Market. (Via Facebook)
In this new conversation—available both as a webcast and podcast—Jacob and Andy talk about the growth of Urban Acres. They also discuss the launch of Springboard Market, a small business incubator Diaz opened in the neighborhood. Springboard is a launching pad for small businesses and food entrepreneurs; in addition to housing businesses inside year-round, they also host summer and seasonal open-air markets in the parking lot.
Diaz talks about the power of small bets to help people see what works and what doesn’t, and why Diaz says he wants to “help people fail faster.” You’ll learn why Diaz describes creating Urban Acres and Springboard Market as “surprisingly easy.” And you’ll hear his advice to elected officials.
Repurposing parking lots. Incremental growth. Economic development that doesn’t push people out. Betting on the neighborhood. Oh, and tacos. It’s not hard to see why we love the work Andy is doing.
Give this conversation a listen or a watch, and then let us in the comments how you’re betting on your neighborhood.
Jaime Izurieta is an architect, designer and author who focuses on the interaction between users and the built environment. He joins host Tiffany Owens Reed to discuss the importance of designing experiences and how local leaders can make their downtowns more successful.