Quote Originally Posted by DetroitPetanque View Post
Having lived in New York for 32 years, non-food sidewalk vending had its uses: cheap [[1 time use) umbrellas for sudden rainy days; cheap gloves, scarves, and hats for cold days; cheap & illegal [[and sometimes badly made) DVD's and CD's of just released movies/albums. Basically, an industry for customers who forgot stuff at home or wanted cheap entertainment. I don't think these kinds of vendors could really survive in Detroit because there just isn't as much "foot traffic" - that's why the "Eastern Market Bridge/Overpass" folks are located at a spot where there's a little more foot traffic for the Gratiot Meat Market. How many gloves is a guy going to sell at Michigan Ave/Woodward to keep himself afloat?
This is why I believe it shouldn't be overly-restricted. Put in the proper limitations for safety and reasonable aesthetics. Let the free market take care of the rest.