Introduction: markets in modernization: transformations in urban market space and practice,c. 1800 –c. 1970

Abstract

This special issue addresses the changing role and later history of physical, face-to-face markets for goods, which in modern cities all over the world are mainly or wholly used by individuals and families for consumption purposes. Our focus is on the urban market as a specific urban place and its shifting relationship with important alterations in the governance, society and economy of modern, industrial cities (until c. 1970). The main intention of this collection is to move beyond traditional (western) views of the so-called ‘decline’ of these urban marketplaces. In the history and theorization of the type of cities that came into being all over the world in the wake of economic and political transformations in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, ‘markets’ are usually thought of in terms of their institutional meaning. They are referred to as abstract notions of commerce and exchange, be it in commodities, labour, cash or shares. Seldom are they studied as real, physical marketplaces within cities; as entities that take up space; function in changing production and distribution chains and evolve as a result of changes in wholesaling, retailing, consumption and the political regulation of urban space, society and economy. Indeed, it is often argued that ‘marketplaces’ in this spatially delimited and concrete sense ceased to be of importance once modernization took hold of urban landscapes all over the world. That this is not the case is amply demonstrated by the articles gathered here: markets continued to be vibrant parts of a wide variety of towns and cities across the globe.

The Analysis of Local Marketplace Business on the Selected Urban Case—Problems and Perspectives

“…They were one of the most important urban spaces in traditional societies. The existence of a "central market", as well as town halls, churches and others forms of civil power, were engines of urban growth, development, and providing sustainability in the economy [12,17]. Across European historical centers, traditional marketplaces were usually located at major intersections making the backbone of the entire physical structure of the city and its urban morphology [18].…”

“…These became contemporary forms of trade offered the population of urban areas an alternative to marketplaces. The changes also occurred in wholesale trade and retail trade [28], offering new shopping environments and transformed consumers from casual buyers to pleasure shoppers [17]. Technological advances, such as refrigeration and air conditioning, rail and road infrastructure, and goods-vehicles facilitated the expansion of private grocery stores to further territories through mass distribution of products that were, for a long time, only accessible locally.…”

Responding to the voice of the markets: an analysis of Tripadvisor reviews of UK retail markets

“…Throughout history, retail markets have been regarded as a central aspect of urban life (Francis & Griffith, 2011), identified as meeting places and sites of exchange and communication (Shields, 2003;Stobart & Van Damme, 2016). Markets can have a significant impact on the places in which they are located, through 'spill-over effects' (Alexander, Teller, & Wood, 2019), which can be positive, in terms, for example, of generating additional footfall (see Hallsworth, Ntounis, Parker, & Quin, 2015).…”

“…However, as a retail form, the physical urban retail market is regarded as in decline or under threat (Stobart & Van Damme, 2016), a trend particularly evident in the UK (Bua, Taylor, & González, 2018). Morales (2011) does, however, note that in some cases, contrary evidence is emerging, leading to a more nuanced dual narrative of market decline and revival/renaissance (see also González & Waley, 2013;Rivlin & González, 2017).…”

Port Said historic markets: a tool for urban revitalization

“…They were places of encounter of variety of produce, ethnicities of customers and traders (Gonz alez, 2018). The role of marketplaces was given a special attention in medieval history (Stobart and van Damme, 2016), with the onset of modernity, two main factors affected small retailing in cities. First, the concern of making cities more appealing for the new bourgeoisie, and, hence, banning or eliminating informal street vending.…”