Street food vendors - Trial in Vancouver

 Stone ground pizza coming to the streets of Vancouver (Globe)

I am an advocate for street food vendors. They offer a pedestrian-oriented service, life in public spaces, 'eyes on the street' (for safety),  potentially good food, and more.

Food vendors have a place in Victoria, not only as a sidewalk hotspot but also as a temporary fill-in on neglected or vacant lots, such as currently in Cook St. Village (are they gone yet?). As previously mentioned, food vendors could be part of a solution to reclaim (sections of) parking lots and create vibrant public spaces.

Anyway, Vancouver is going to experiment with 17 new vending locations (Globe and Mail) and promote a variety of foods beyond the current supply of hot dogs, popcorn, and chestnuts.

The expansion has been in the works for some time. Mayor Gregor Robertson has said Vancouver could learn much on the issue from Portland, Ore., noted across North America for a varied food-cart scene that includes more than 450 carts.

City officials picked 17 operators by lottery from about 800 who applied for spots on city sidewalks and curbside locations. Alternates were also chosen in case winners are not ready. The winners have to have waste-management plans. Their food-handling practices will be subject to Vancouver Coastal Health inspection.

The mayor seems to have a level-head approach to the issue:

"There’s a good chance we can add dozens more carts in the city,” he said. “I think this phased approach maximizes our chances of success - taking it a few steps at a time, and responding to the demand. It will be fascinating to see the uptake and whether there’s a shift in eating habits on the street and people choose the new, diverse varieties over what was available.”

I would be very interested in study of whether or not food vendors could create more life in 'derelict' public spaces, such as Centennial Square in Victoria.

What's your experience with the food vending situation in Victoria or elsewhere?