Can a Front Yard Bring the Village Back?

In most suburban neighborhoods, a corner store or small commercial space can feel years away, even when residents want places to gather and local businesses need somewhere to begin. Rather than wait for a zoning change, Lauren Penn worked with a neighbor to turn their front yards into a tiny market with a baker, a coffee roaster, artists, children selling handmade goods, and people who might not otherwise have met. The project grew out of her interest in the “missing middle” of local economies: the space between an idea at home and a full commercial lease. For parents, especially mothers, markets like this can offer a realistic way to test a business idea and earn income during a season of life that does not fit neatly into a standard work schedule. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Lauren Penn (Site, LinkedIn) Stronger Denton (Site) Stronger Neighborhoods (Site) Pop-Up Market Makers (Site) How One Front Yard Became a Neighborhood Pop Up (Bottom-Up Short) Local Recommendations:‍ Thai Ocha L’Amitié Bistro Two Gentleman of Verona Gelato North Lakes Park Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram) Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!   This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Thank you! Join fellow members discussing this episode in The Commons.