| dc.description.abstract | This research studies Latino vendor markets as city places through the lens of attachment. First, to understand the markets as places, the study looks at three key elements: institutional frameworks, language of place, and socioeconomic dimensions. Then, attachment is conceptualized through an understanding of dependence, networks, and acceptance.
The study examines four selected markets in two geographic county contexts, border and in-land, in California and Texas, two states with the highest percentage of Latino populations in the United States, both at 37.6% (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010). The border case study of San Diego County, California is paralleled with Cameron County, Texas, and the in-land Los Angeles County, California case study to Harris County, Texas.
Qualitative and quantitative, primary and secondary, data are collected and analyzed using a mixed-methods approach. Places studied include both the market grounds and city context. People studied include vendors, customers, market management representatives, and city officials.
The study found the selected markets to be characterized as “places,” beyond spaces, that are occupied by a Latino majority (94%) by customers, vendors, and management members. Additionally, it found evidence of various degrees of attachment at all four markets for both customer and vendors. Ultimately, the research presents a series of planning and design recommendations, as there is opportunity to support Latino vendor markets as 21st century U.S. city places. | en |
