Markets PDF

MERCADO
LESSONS FROM 20 MARKETS ACROSS SOUTH AMERICA
WRITTEN BY JULIE FLYNN | EDITED BY MIKE LYDON

- Cover Photo by Jake Izenberg -
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
A big thank you to Jake Izenberg for accompanying me on many market visits, and for providing some
wonderful photographs to bring this report to life. All photographs taken by Jake are marked with credits.
(All photographs without credits were taken by Julie Flynn.)
Special thanks to the many hosts and friends who provided suggestions about which markets to explore,
as well as informal “insider” tours and information. Thanks to all of the market shoppers and vendors who
talked to us, answered our questions and taught us something new.
Un agradecimiento especial a los anfitriones y amigos quien dieron sugerencias sobre cuales mercados
debemos explorar, o aceptaron el papel de guía para mostrarnos los mercados de sus comunidades.
Gracias a todos los compradores y vendedores de los mercados que hablaron con nosotros, respondieron a
nuestras preguntas y nos enseñaron algo nuevo.
ABOUT THIS PROJECT
The Street Plans Collaborative is a consulting firm, but also a platform for research and advocacy that we
share openly. We’ve explored and given shape to a variety of emerging topics (Street Seats, Pattern Cities,
Tactical Urbanism, Open Streets), but often return to the same conclusion: a city’s dynamism is created
by the unplanned collision of people and the resulting exchange of goods, skills, and ideas. The Mercados
Project is the consequence of one such collision facilitated by a Craigslist apartment search.
In May of 2011, I moved into a Brooklyn apartment already occupied by a schoolteacher, an architect,
and an urban planner named Julie Flynn. While Julie and I sought ways for our two firms to collaborate, we
couldn’t find the right fit. Two years later she announced her departure for a 5-month stint in South America
with Jake Izenberg, who contributed some of the photographs that help bring this project alive. While sad to
see her go, I was thrilled when she pitched a collaborative research project, one that she could pursue while
visiting dozens of cities across the continent. I remember sitting at the kitchen table and asking her what
she was passionate about exploring. She simply answered, “markets.”
Together we co-developed The Mercados Project, which investigates 20 markets of various types in
cities large and small. Julie’s keen study and thoughtful analysis has brought us new insight into the
variety of markets that exist, how they are organized, and the lessons they offer to North American cities
experiencing their own market revival. In our opinion there are few venues better suited for serendipitous
collisions than markets, an age-old urban archetype where culture and commerce invariably intersect.
Mike Lydon, Principal

The Street Plans Collaborative
- This Page Intentionally Left Blank -
” Look around any U.S. city,
and you’ll notice that
markets are back.”
Pikes Place Market, Seattle | Photo by Jake Izenberg

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION............................................................................... 8
BACKGROUND................................................................................10
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS...............................................................13
THE MARKETS................................................................................ 29
PERU.............................................................................................. 31
CHILE............................................................................................ 70
ARGENTINA.................................................................................80
BOLIVIA........................................................................................ 84
URUGUAY..................................................................................... 94
CONCLUSIONS...............................................................................99
INTRODUCTION
Historically, many U.S. cities had vibrant central markets. These markets were often
held in grand buildings constructed by well-respected architects on choice plots
of land. They served as important hubs for commerce and social interaction, and
they allowed small-scale producers to reach a high volume of consumers. Towards
the middle of the 20th century, many of these central markets began to decline.
Many of the once-glorious market buildings were destroyed or fell into disrepair, and
commercial activity ceased to be concentrated in the central market.
Postcard of City Market in Savannah, GA, built in 1872.
The building was razed in 1954 to build a parking garage.
Look around any U.S. city, and you’ll notice that markets are back. In towns and
cities across the U.S., people now look forward to buying fresh, local produce
at their nearest Farmers’ Market. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National
Directory of Farmers’ Markets shows a 460% increase in the number of known
farmers’ markets operating in the country between 1994 and 2008.1 Weekend
flea markets draw crowds, too; the now famous Brooklyn Flea in New York City
features approximately 250 vendors each weekend and has been called “One of the
great urban experiences in New York”.2 With the explosion of food trucks, pop-up
prepared food markets have become culinary destinations. Based on the concept
of “Asian night markets,” the Off the Grid street markets in San Francisco group
street food vendors together in underutilized city spaces. Off the Grid began with
three markets in 2010 and now operates 15 markets in the San Francisco Bay area
involving over 100 vendors.
The Brooklyn Flea in New York City features approx. 250
We thought it made sense to learn more about the market landscape in other parts
of the world in this era of market renaissance in the United States. We set off to
explore 20 markets in five countries in South America, observing and gathering
data to help us understand the character of these diverse and vibrant commercial
centers. While modern supermarkets and shopping malls can be found in many
urban centers in South America, it is quickly apparent to any visitor that public
markets still thrive in most communities as primary centers of commercial and
social activity. This report shares our observations from market explorations.
We hope that the information presented here helps to broaden our readers’
understanding of markets and market spaces and inspires new ideas for the
growing body of markets happening throughout the United States today.
1. USDA WEBSITE, FARMERS MARKET GROWTH: 1994-2012
Off The Grid street food vendor markets draw a crowd in
2. NY TIMES ARTICLE, CITED ON BROOKLYN FLEA WEBSITE - HTTP://WWW.BROOKLYNFLEA.COM/ABOUT/
San Francisco, CA. (Photo by flickr user Mr Ush)
PAGE 8 | INTRODUCTION
MORE MARKETS
The U.S. Department
of Agriculture’s
National Directory
of Farmers’ Markets
shows a 460% # OF FARMERS’ MARKETS
increase in the 7864
8144
number of known 7175
farmers’ markets 6132

operating in the
5274
country between 4685
4385
1994 and 2008.
3706
3137
2746 2863
2410
1755
1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Source: USDA-AMS-Marketing Services Division | National Count of Farmers’ Market Directory Listings.
This information is voluntary and self-reported to the USDA-AMS- Marketing Services Division.
PAGE 9 | INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND
Markets are an important part of commerce throughout South America,
in small villages and big cities alike. Some scholars assert that the market
culture we see in South America today did not exist before European
conquistadores arrived. Research has suggested that, at least in mountainous
areas, pre-colonial economies were based around redistribution and
reciprocity, not markets. Others point to the mention of market-like spaces
in early writings of European conquistadores, suggesting that some form of
market-based commercial exchange must have existed before the colonial
A crowded central market in Cusco, Peru demonstrates
era. While there may be some debate about the development of markets in that markets still thrive as social and commercial spaces.
South America, a modern observer cannot deny that markets thrive today
as central social and commercial spaces in communities throughout the
continent.
The modern South American market landscape is incredibly diverse. It

includes catchall markets selling broad range of goods and highly specialized
markets focusing on one particular category. It includes informal flea markets
taking place on roadway medians, restored fish market buildings complete
with fine seafood restaurants, and everything in between.
As a first step to understanding this complex market landscape, we will start

by defining what we consider to be a market. We’ve defined a market as a
dedicated building or urban space with discernible boundaries that is devoted Amazonas market in Lima, Peru is a specialty market
focusing exclusively on books, old and new.
to the sale of consumer goods. This definition is meant to draw a distinction
between individual markets and the broader concept of a market, which
often includes urban market zones where stores and indoor malls selling a
particular category of goods cluster together. If you speak to someone about
markets in their city, they may refer to both of these types of spaces as a
mercado, or market. For this study, we’ve chosen to focus on the more clearly
defined markets instead of market zones.
A “market zone” in La Paz, Bolivia, includes a street

occupied almost entirely by furniture stores.
PAGE 10 | BACKGROUND
ABOUT THIS PROJECT
SCOPE OF REPORT &
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This report explores 20 markets in five countries in South America. As defined previously, we limited
our research to markets and did not include broader market zones. Within the category of markets, we
included a range of market types to illustrate the diversity that exists in the market landscape. Beyond this
overall goal of visiting a range of market types, we relied on suggestions from people in each community
to determine which markets merited a visit. In many cases, it initially took some convincing to get people
to take us beyond the well-manicured handicrafts markets exclusively selling souvenirs to travelers - to
convince them that, yes, we really did want to get up early on Saturday morning and travel on the crowded
bus to the outskirts of town to visit the flea market. Once we got this point across though, everyone we
met was excited to show us the “real” markets in their communities. They drew routes on maps to show the
way, recruited family members to play tour guide, gave tips on what stalls to eat at, and without fail, always
cautioned us to try to blend in and be discreet with our cameras.
We visited as many markets as possible in each town and city and conducted background research about
each market where reliable information was available. Where possible, we visited markets more than once
to observe variations and deepen our understanding of these places.
At the beginning of this study, we established a research framework to guide the observational market
site visits. The research framework consists of a series of categories; we began each market site visit by
gathering information about the market across every category, as summarized in the Market Matrix that
appears in the Summary of Findings section of this report. This data establishes a base of information
about quantifiable market characteristics such as size, frequency and layout style. We then focused
on qualitative observations, taking note of what qualities contributed to each market’s vibrancy and its
success as a social and commercial space.
While we had many informal conversations with vendors and fellow market-goers, we did not conduct
any formal interviews with market staff, vendors or shoppers. All data contained in this report consists of
observations by the author.
PAGE 12 | SCOPE & METHODOLOGY
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
MARKETS VISITED
VENEZUELA GUYANA
SURINAME
This map illustrates the locations of COLOMBIA FRENCH GUIANA
the 20 markets visited for this project.
These 20 markets were spread
across 12 cities and five countries in ECUADOR
South America: Peru, Bolivia, Chile,
Argentina, and Uruguay. Caraz
Callao PERU Cusco BRAZIL

These markets span diverse locations,
Lima
from large, coastal port cities to Copacabana
Ayacucho
smaller cities in the Andes Mountains. La Paz
The diversity of locations certainly Arequipa BOLIVIA
contributed to the unique character

of the markets. Subsequent sections PARAGUAY
CHILE
of this report will provide more
Salta
information about each individual
market, organized by country and city.
Valparaiso
URUGUAY
Santiago
ARGENTINA Montevideo
PAGE 15 | SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

MARKET SIZES POLVOS VERDES
MERCADO DE FLORES
MERCADO CENTRAL (SANTIAGO)
MERCADO CENTRAL (CARAZ)

= 50 stalls BIO FERIA (SATURDAY)
MERCADO DE ABASTOS
This chart presents estimated BIO FERIA (SUNDAY)
counts for the number of vendors
at each market. These estimates MERCADO 12 DE ABRIL
were obtained through counting MERCADO “DE LOS VIERNES”
and by consulting maps of each MERCADO SAN PEDRO
market where available. Small MERCED FERIA DE
markets were counted in their ANTIQUIDADES Y LIBROS
entirety. In larger markets, MERCADO BARATILLO
estimates were obtained by
counting several rows (or a MERCADO DE BRUJAS
MERCADO SAN CAMILO
section) of the market and then
multiplying that figure by the MERCADO MODELO DE
total number of rows observed. MERCADO SAN MIGUEL
COPACABANA
The vendor count estimates
attempt to capture the total
MERCADO PARADITA MERCADO CENTRAL (CALLAO)
number of vendors inside the
boundaries of each market,
including informal and roaming AMAZONES MERCADO DE LIBROS
vendors. For markets with less
than 100 vendors, estimates are MERCADO RODRIGUEZ
rounded to the nearest 25. For FERIA DE AVE. AGENTINA
larger, markets, estimates are
rounded to the nearest 50. MERCADO EL CARDONAL
PAGE 16 | SUMMARY OF FINDINGS PAGE 17 | SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

MARKET MATRIX
The matrix on the following pages lists all markets studied for this report, charting
observations across a series of categories for each market. This matrix served as a research
framework to guide each market site visit.
Note that all markets listed occur year round, and all but Montevideo’s “Mercado de Viernes”
occur all day long. All of the markets were easily accessible by public transit or private
vehicle, and most were surrounded by walkable streets. Bicycle infrastructure, such as
marked bikeways and designated bicycle parking, was often non-existent, due to the fact
that cycling infrastructure in the areas studied was lacking on a city-wide level.

LOCATION MARKET NAME SETTING FORM LAYOUT FREQUENCY # OF WAYFINDING GOODS CATEGORIES
VENDORS
Peru: Lima, Chorillos Mercado Paradita Neighborhood Center Street Market Linear Daily ~ 250 No Fruit, Vegetables, Meat/Seafood, Books/Media, Dry Goods, Clothing
Peru: Lima, Centro Amazonas Mercado de Libros Market District, City Center Edge Covered Grid Daily ~250 No Books/Media
Peru: Lima, Miraflores Polvos Verdes Mercado Industrial Zone Covered Circular Daily ~25 No Plants/Flowers
de Flores
Peru: Lima, Miraflores BioFeria (Saturday Location) Park Street Market Linear Saturdays ~40 No Fruit, Vegetables, Dry Goods
Peru: Lima, Miraflores BioFeria (Sunday Location) Neighborhood Center Street Market Linear Sundays ~40 No Fruit, Vegetables, Dry Goods
Peru: Arequipa Mercado San Camilo City Center Edge Indoor Terraced Grid Daily ~700 Yes Fruit, Vegetables, Meat/Seafood, Books/Media, Dry Goods, Religious
Items, Artisan Goods, Clothing, Plants/Flowers
Peru: Ayacucho Mercado de Abastos City Center Indoor Grid Daily ~450 Yes Fruit, Vegetables, Meat/Seafood, Dry Goods, Artisan Goods, Clothing
Peru: Ayacucho Mercado 12 de Abril Market District Covered Terraced Grid Daily ~550 No Fruit, Vegetables, Meat/Seafood, Dry Goods
Peru: Callao Mercado Central de Callao City Center Indoor Grid, Radial Daily ~1,000 No Fruit, Vegetables, Meat/Seafood, Books/Media, Dry Goods, Artisan
Goods, Clothing
Peru: Caraz Mercado Central de Caraz City Center Indoor Grid Daily ~300 Yes Fruit, Vegetables, Meat/Seafood, Dry Goods, Artisan Goods, Clothing
Peru: Cusco Mercado San Pedro City Center Edge Indoor Grid Daily ~700 Yes Fruit, Vegetables, Meat/Seafood, Dry Goods, Religious Items, Artisan
Goods, Clothing, Plants/Flowers
Peru: Cusco Mercado Baratillo City Center Edge Street Market Linear Saturdays ~700 No Books/Media, Artisanal Goods, Clothing, Electronics, Antiques
Chile: Santiago Mercado Central de Santiago City Center Indoor Radial Daily ~250 Yes Vegetables, Meat/Seafood
Chile: Valparaiso Merced Feria de Antigüedades Park Covered Linear Sundays ~75 No Antiques
y Libros
Chile: Valparaiso Feria de Avenida Argentina City Center Edge Street Market Linear Sundays ~250 No Artisanal Goods, Clothing, Electronics, Antiques
Chile: Valparaiso Mercado del Cardonal City Center Edge Indoor Radial Daily ~250 No Fruit, Vegetables
Argentina: Salta Mercado San Miguel City Center Edge Indoor Terraced Grid Daily ~750 Yes Fruit, Vegetables, Meat/Seafood, Books/Media, Dry Goods, Religious
Items, Artisanal Goods, Clothing, Electronics, Plants/Flowers
Bolivia: La Paz Mercado Rodriguez City Center Edge, Indoor, Street Market Grid, Linear Daily ~1,000 No Fruit, Vegetables, Meat/Seafood, Dry Goods, Plants/Flowers
Market District
Bolivia: La Paz Mercado de Brujas City Center Street Market Linear Daily ~75 No Religious Items, Artisanal Goods
“Witches Market”
Bolivia: Copacabana Mercado Modelo de Copacabana City Center Indoor Circular Daily ~75 No Fruit, Vegetables, Meat/Seafood, Dry Goods
Uruguay: Montevideo Mercado “de Viernes” Neighborhood Center Street Market Linear Fridays ~50 No Fruit, Vegetables, Meat/Seafood, Dry Goods
PAGE 20 | SUMMARY OF FINDINGS PAGE 21 | SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

Excluding street markets,
markets studied had a pedestrian only
10 of 16 street located within 3 blocks of the market.
Excluding street markets or markets directly on a pedestrian street,
8 of 15
markets studied had a plaza or public space
adjacent to the market area.
17 of 20
markets studied offered 3
or more
categories of goods.
MARKET LAYOUT CATEGORIES
While each market has elements that make its layout unique, trends do emerge in the ways a market
is organized. The following diagram describes the five market layout categories that emerged from
the 20 markets visited for this report.
GRID TERRACED GRID
In the grid category, market stalls are organized on In a terraced grid style, stalls are organized in
one floor in straight lines, with aisles intersecting the grid layout, with multiple floor levels and/or
each other at 90 degree angles, in a perpendicular “terraced” areas overlooking the main market floor.
orientation.
Examples: Mercado 12 de Abril (Ayacucho,
Examples: Mercado de Abastos (Ayacucho, Peru); Peru); Mercado San Miguel (Salta, Argentina);
Mercado Central (Caraz, Peru); Amazonas (Lima, Mercado San Pedro (Cusco, Peru); Mercado Camilo
Peru); Mercado Central (Callao, Peru) (Arequipa, Peru)

CIRCULAR LINEAR
In the circular
category, market
stalls and aisles
are organized in
a ring oriented to
a central point. In linear markets, stalls are organized in lines with few
or no intersecting aisles. Stall lines may be one or two
There are no stalls wide, with a back to back orientation. Linear
radial aisles orientation is commonly seen in street markets.
cutting through
the rings. Examples: Mercado Paradita, and BioFera (Lima, Peru);
Merced Feria de Antiquidades y Libros (Valparaiso,
Chile); Feria de Ave. Agentina (Valparaiso, Chile);
Examples: Polvos Verdes (Lima, Peru); Mercado Mercado de Viernes (Montevideo, Uruguay); Mercado
Modelo de Copacabana (Copacobana, Bolivia) Rodriguez (La Paz, Bolivia); Mercado de Brujas (La Paz,
Bolivia); Mercado Baratillo (Cusco, Peru)
RADIAL
In a radial market, stall sections are oriented to the
center of the market, with aisles running parallel
to the building shape and cutting to the center in a
cross or “starburst” formation. The radial formation
can be seen in rectangular or rounded buildings.
Examples: Mercado Cardonal (Valparaiso, Chile);

Mercado Central (Santiago, Chile)

MARKET STRUCTURES
INDOOR MARKET COVERED MARKET
Defined as a market inside a building with Defined as a market “building”
solid walls that are attached to the roof. having a roof but no attached
walls. In a covered market, the
roof may serve as a protective
canopy, and is often made of
sheet metal. Stalls may have
walls separating them from each
other or the street, but there
are no full-length, outer walls
attached to the roof structure.
STREET MARKET
Defined as a market
where stalls are
outdoors, with no
permanent structure
to speak of. Vendors
often use canopies or
umbrellas to provide
shade.

THE MARKETS
PERU
LIMA
POPULATION: 8.4 million (in the Metropolitan area)
TOTAL AREA: ~2,600 sq km (~1,000 sq. mi.)
ELEVATION: ~0-1,500 m (~0-5,000 ft)
MARKETS RESEARCHED: Mercado Paradita (Chorillos District),
BioFeria (Miraflores and Surquillo Districts), Amazonas Mercado
de Libros (Central Lima), Polvos Verdes Mercado de Flores (Surco District)
Lima is an immense city, stretching from the wealthy coastal district of Miraflores to
dusty hillside communities, where many live without running water or electricity. The city’s
roadways buzz with traffic most hours of the day, and street vendors are always ready to
sell food to anyone waiting for a bus or waiting in traffic. Lima holds some of Peru’s most
important historical and cultural treasures, and it is known as the culinary capital of South
America.
Lima has thousands of markets to explore, and the city is an important commerce hub, a place where goods from the rainforest,
the mountains, and the coast come together. Its large wholesale markets for fruit, flowers and other items are a key part of the
regional trade network and of the city’s market landscape.
At the same time, there are many small local markets serving equally important functions. Lima encompasses 43 districts,
and most of them function like small independent cities. They have residential areas, central commercial zones and markets to
serve local residents. Larger districts may have dozens of markets within their boarders, some serving district residents, others
earning enough fame to draw limeños from all corners of the city.
Lima is large enough to support many highly specialized markets, including some entirely devoted to the sale of flowers and
plants. In smaller Peruvian cities, plants and flowers are often sold in one row of the central food market, with no other dedicated
plant market to speak of.
In addition to thousands of markets of all sizes, Lima has many market zones – areas where wholesale and retail vendors of a
particular product category cluster together. Market zones typically include a high concentration of individual stores, mini-malls,
small markets, and street vendors, all selling the same category of merchandise, such as electronics or furniture. This report
focuses on individual markets rather than these larger market districts, but it is important to note that both are part of the city’s
market landscape. In this section we have highlighted a handful of markets from Lima to illustrate the scale and diversity of the
city’s market landscape.
.PAGE 32 | LIMA, PERU

CHORILLOS
POPULATION: ~260, 000
TOTAL AREA: ~39 sq.km
(~15 sq.mi)
0-43 m (~0-141 ft)
ELEVATION: ~0-43
MARKET RESEARCHED: METROPOLITAIN
Mercado Paradita DISTRICTS - LIMA
Lima’s Chorillos District lies on the coast

in the southern part of the city. Chorillos
is known for its beaches, fishing culture,
and district pride. There is a mid-sized fish
market by the water, and numerous markets,
malls, and modern supermarkets spread
throughout the district.
Photo by Jake Izenberg.

MAP KEY
Mercado Paradita
AV
EN
ID
A
H
U
AY
LA
S
MERCADO PARADITA
SETTING: Neighborhood Center # OF VENDORS: ~ 250
FORM: Street Market WAYFINDING: No
LAYOUT: Linear GOODS CATEGORY: Fruit, Vegetables,
FREQUENCY: Daily Meat/Seafood, Books/Media, Dry Goods,
Clothing
Many tiny market streets diverge off the main market roadway, creating
The arterial Avenida Huaylas runs perpendicular to the coastline, carrying high tight pedestrian pathways where goods spill out into the street.
volumes of vehicle and pedestrian traffic into the heart of one of Chorillos’ primary
commercial zones. About five blocks in from the water and half a block from a
major Huaylas transit stop lies the Mercado Paradita.
Unlike most markets in Chorillos, Paradita does not occupy a market building. It
stretches for five blocks along Calle Pierola, extending into five or six of the tiny
streets and alleyways that diverge off the main roadway. The market is completely
fluid with the shops and restaurants in the surrounding street grid. Calle Pierola
is not closed to traffic, but street vendors occupy a significant area at the curb
edge, competing for space in the roadway with slow-moving taxis and mototaxis.
Mercado Paradita is primarily a food market, but there are many shops selling Calle Pierola is not closed to traffic. Vendors and shoppers spill over the
clothing, music, and DVDs where Calle Pierola intersects with Huaylas. Shoppers curb edge, forcing taxis and mototaxis to move slowly through the crowds.
enjoy a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and meats, dry goods and kitchen items
scattered throughout all parts of the market. Paradita is not organized by goods
category, and there is no wayfinding system. The market is small enough that one
could walk through it all, but the high degree of repetition of good types makes
this unnecessary – no matter where you enter, you are bound to come across a
stall with a good selection of whatever you are looking for relatively quickly.
.
Vendors set up sidewalk seating areas using plastic chairs and tables.
PAGE 35 | LIMA, PERU

EL CENTRO
TOTAL AREA: ~22 sq.km
(~8 sq.mi)
ELEVATION: ~2.8 m (~8.4 ft)
Amazonas Mercado de Libros DISTRICTS - LIMA
Lima’s central district contains some of the

city’s most important cultural and historical
destinations, including well-restored plazas
and churches from the colonial era. The
quantity of restaurants and nighttime
destinations is growing as the neighborhood
continues to become safer and more tourist-
friendly after dark. In the last few decades,
living in central Lima was considered
undesirable, but this too is changing. As new
shops and restaurants open up, new and old
markets of all sizes continue to thrive within
a few kilometers of the historic center.
MAP KEY
Amazonas Mercado de Libros
PUENTE BALTA
RIVER RIMAC
Y
N CA
BA
PLAZA MAYOR
A
E.
AV
AMAZONAS MERCADO DE LIBROS
SETTING: Market District, # OF VENDORS: ~ 250
City Center Edge
FORM: Covered WAYFINDING: No
LAYOUT: Grid GOODS CATEGORY: Books/Media
FREQUENCY: Daily
Amazonas is one of the largest book markets in South America. It is

Amazonas Mercado de Libros is one of the largest book markets in South located in an industrial market zone near the historic city center.
America. It is located five blocks east of the historic city center, on the southern
side of the River Rimac. The market is easy to access by taxi or transit, but to
get to the market on foot, one must cross the somewhat intimidating Avenida
Abancay, which carries four lanes of traffic. The two zones on either side of
Abancay feel distinctly different: the west side is full of restored colonial buildings
and tourist attractions, the east side is less walkable, with narrow sidewalks and
long blocks of market stalls that do not open into the street. One must pass a
large metal-walled bag and luggage market for a long block before finally reaching
the Amazonas Mercado de Libros.
The market is closed off to the street with metal walls and fencing, but inside the
atmosphere is inviting. The primary entrance to the market has a small open area
with a library reading room and several food stalls with tiny tables. Branching off Metal stalls are organized in a precise grid. The roof overhead provides
shade. The entire places feels orderly and quiet.
the entrance area, the market consists of four long rows, with vendors organized
into a precise grid of metal stalls. There is a roof over the aisles to provide shade.
There are few roaming vendors and the market aisles are very wide. The entire
place feels very orderly and is even somewhat quiet.
Amazonas vendors focus almost entirely on books. New, used, rare, or pirated,
you can find a copy of almost any volume you want at this market. It is known as
a good place to find academic texts and English-language books at an affordable
price. There is a selection of cookbooks as well as story and coloring books for
children. Book types are not clustered together, so each aisle has a diverse
selection of merchandise. While there is no market-wide wayfinding system, many
vendors have put large signs in front of their stalls to advertise their wares. And,
if you ask for something specific, vendors are knowledgeable enough about books Vendors are knowledgeable about books and the market, and can easily
point shoppers in the right direction.
and the market to point you in the right direction.
MIRAFLORES
POPULATION: ~92,000
TOTAL AREA: ~9.6 sq.km
(~3.7 sq.mi)
ELEVATION: ~79 m (~259 ft)
Polvos Verdes Mercado DISTRICTS - LIMA
de Flores, BioFeria
Ecologial Markets
Miraflores is one of Lima’s wealthiest

districts. It is home to corporate office
buildings and luxury high-rise apartments,
miles of cliffside park space for jogging and
biking, and some of the city’s best fine dining.
The district does not have a traditional food
market. Residents buy food in modern and
high-end supermarkets instead.
Photo by Jake Izenberg.

MAP KEY
Polvos Verdes
Mercado de Flores
ME
TR
OP
OL
ITA
NO
BU
SR
AP
ID
TR
AN
SIT
AVE. REPUBLICA DE PANAMA

POLVOS VERDES MERCADO DE FLORES
SETTING: Industrial Zone # OF VENDORS: ~ 25
LAYOUT: Circular GOODS CATEGORY: Plants/Flowers
FREQUENCY: Daily
Polvoes Verdes is a small flower market serving the Miraflores District.

Polvos Verdes is one of many small plant and flower markets in Lima. Like at most Vendors sell plants, cut flowers, arrangements, and landscaping supplies.
markets of its size, Polvos Verdes vendors travel each morning to the enormous
Acho flower market in northern Lima, where new flowers and plants arrive daily
from all parts of the country. The plants are then brought back to Polvos Verdes
for retail sale to gardeners, landscapers and homeowners in the southern coastal
districts of the city.
Polvos Verdes is organized for optimal vehicle accessibility. It is located at the

intersection of two multi-lane arterial roadways, right near an exit from the Via
Expresa, a depressed highway that runs north-south through the city. Vendor
stalls do not face the street. They face into the market, forming a ring around a
small central parking lot where shoppers can easily load heavy plants into their
vehicles. If one did want to reach the market by transit, this would also be easy
due to the ample transit access on the major nearby roadways. The market is The entire market is organized in a circle to facilitate easy loading of
plants and supplies into shoppers’ cars.
accessible on foot, but the walk is not pleasant; Polvos Verdes sits in a relatively
industrial area built more for people driving than people walking.
About half of the vendors at this market sell plants, sod, big bags of soil and other
items useful for landscaping a large yard. The other half of the vendors specialize
in cut flowers: they sell stems for a beautiful bouquet and create elaborate flower
arrangements for celebrations. There is also a small section of food vendors
offering hot lunch or fresh juices to vendors and customers alike. Because the
larger Acho market is so far away, the tiny Polvos Verdes serves an important role
as an accessible local destination for plant and flower purchases.
Vendors travel each morning to the enormous Acho flower market in

Northern Lima and transport these plants back to the smaller market.

MAP KEY
BioFera Market
MET
ROP
O
LITA
NO
PARQUE REDUCTO
BUS
RAP
I
D TR
ANS
T I
BIOFERIA (SATURDAY LOCATION)
SETTING: Park # OF VENDORS: ~ 40
FREQUENCY: Saturday Only Dry Goods
The BioFeria began as a Saturday market in Miraflores, sharing many

The BioFeria is an organic, vegetarian market next to a park. It takes place
characteristics with farmers’ markets in U.S. towns and cities. BioFeria vendors only on weekends and resembles U.S. farmers’ markets in many regards.
mainly sell food products, many of them organic and all of them grown or made in
Peru. There are fruits, vegetables, handmade sauces, fair-trade chocolates, and
organic beauty products. Prepared food is all vegetarian. There are no meat or
fish products permitted at the market. But, one can find free-range organic eggs,
and hormone-free dairy products. A handful of vendors sell artisan goods, such as
hand-printed baby clothes made with fabric made from organically grown cotton.
The Saturday BioFeria is located along one block of sidewalk at the eastern
edge of Parque Reducto. Many customers take their prepared foods and coffees
into the park for a picnic. Market stalls are organized in one line along the park
fence, opening to the sidewalk. The market gets very busy, and the sidewalk does
not have enough space to accommodate shoppers stopping at stalls and those
who want to pass by. People spill into the street, and there is a steady flow of The market gets very busy, and the sidewalk doesn’t quite have enough
room for all the shoppers.
pedestrians crossing the road to access a strip of green space and benches. The
street is not closed to vehicles during the market, but it is a small roadway with
slow-moving cars, and there are several security guards on site to direct traffic.
The market is only one block away from the Metropolitano, the main bus rapid
transit line shuttling people north to south through Lima. It is also well served
by local buses and taxis running along the Avenida Benavides, which runs
perpendicular to the market. The BioFeria’s focus on vegetarian and organic
products, which are inevitably relatively expensive, restrict the customer base
to a certain profile. The majority of shoppers likely come from Miraflores, where
residents value and can afford organic and local items. Still, as awareness of
health and sustainability issues around food continues to grow, so does the
BioFeria’s popularity. And, the markets’ excellent transit access enables people Marketgoers sit on the wall and lawn of a nearby school, or take their
from surrounding districts to drop by and see what the BioFeria is all about. purchases to the park adjacent to the market. Picnics abound.

MAP KEY
BioFera Market
Mercado 1 de Surquillo
METR
OPOL
ITAN
O BU
S RA
PID T
RANS
T I
BIOFERIA (SUNDAY LOCATION)
SETTING: Neighborhood Center # OF VENDORS: ~ 40
FREQUENCY: Sunday Only Dry Goods
In October of 2012, the BioFeria opened a second market on Sundays. The

The Sunday BioFeria is located near Mercado 1, which serves the working
vendors are almost entirely the same as those at the Saturday markets. The class district of Surquillo. (Photo by Dan Perlman of SaltShaker.net)
interesting differences seen in the Sunday BioFeria relate to location. The Sunday
BioFeria is not tucked away behind a park in a wealthy residential neighborhood.
It is located along a pedestrian street bordering Mercado 1, one of the primary
public food markets serving the working class district of Surquillo. Today, the
two markets complement each other. Vendors in Mercado 1 work in the market
building all week as they have for decades. Once per week, BioFeria vendors set
up stalls on the pedestrian street outside the market, bringing in new people from
Surquillo and other districts. Shoppers hop between the two markets, splurging
on special items at the BioFeria and buying the rest of their groceries at Mercado
1. And, vendors in the shops and restaurants surrounding Mercado 1 take
advantage of increased food traffic around the market building as well.
The BioFeria concept is somewhat controversial in Lima. Items at the BioFeria Many shoppers splurge on some items at the BioFeria and hit Mercado 1
are purported to be of higher quality than that which one might find at the local for the week’s groceries. (Photo by BioFeria de Surquillo via Facebook)
public market - messaging around the market emphasizes that vendors sell
only organic, free-range, and handmade items. Some feel that establishing an
“upscale” market of this type is problematic in Peru – a country where many food
producers selling at the older public markets still work as they did centuries ago:
without pesticides, or factory farming, or mass production. In countries where
industrial practices dominate food production, it might make sense to create a
market like the BioFeria. But in Peru? If you want free-range eggs, some say, visit
a rural back yard. If you want handmade aji sauce, visit the family-run restaurants
in your neighborhood. There is a feeling that these producers are making the same
quality items, but not marketing with today’s foodie buzzwords (or charging the
higher prices that goes along with them). In the context of this conversation, it
is interesting to see the Sunday BioFeria located adjacent to a long-established Vendors set up stalls along the pedestrian boulevard every Sunday. (Photo
food market in what appears to be a peaceful and mutually beneficial relationship. by Jorge A. of EcoSiembra Blog)

AREQUIPA
TOTAL AREA: ~9,862 sq. km
(~3,807 sq.mi)
ELEVATION: ~2,335 m
(~7,661 ft)
MARKETS RESEARCHED:
Mercado San Camilo
Arequipa is Peru’s second most populous

city. It’s white stone historic architecture has
earned it the nickname of the White City. It is
an important industrial center for Peru, and it
boasts modern shopping and entertainment
offerings to complement significant
preservation of important historic landmarks.
Photo by Jake Izenberg
MAP KEY
Mercado San Camilo
PLAZA MAYOR
MERCADO SAN CAMILO
SETTING: City Center Edge # OF VENDORS: ~ 700
FORM: Indoor WAYFINDING: Yes
LAYOUT: Terraced Grid GOODS CATEGORY: Fruit, Vegetables, Meat/
FREQUENCY: Daily Seafood, Books/Media, Dry Goods, Religious
Items, Artisan Goods, Clothing, Plants/Flowers
Located four blocks from the central Plaza de Armas, Mercado San Camilo San Camilo is a massive market with an overwhelming variety of
merchandise, but wide aisles and good lighting make it easy to navigate.
is Arequipa’s primary market building. Vendors at San Camilo offer a diverse
selection. They sell typical food items such as fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, and
dairy products. There are dry goods stands and prepared food stalls with juices
and hot lunches. And, there are a significant number of tiny market sections
devoted to goods rarely seen in food markets: an entire mezzanine row of the
market is devoted to fabrics, another to live animals; vendors selling natural
remedies and religious items also fill an entire row, and there a small section of
vendors selling hats.
The market is quite large, but it is easy to navigate thanks to good lighting, wide
aisles, and wayfinding signage. Merchandise is clearly clustered together, with
typical food items in the center of the main floor and more unusual items in aisles
off to the side, or in smaller sections on the market’s mezzanine floors. An open Shoppers enjoy juices and sandwiches at prepared food counters.
balcony running all around the second floor mezzanine level makes it easy to get a
sense of the market layout from above.
The streets around the market’s perimeter are not closed to traffic, and taxis
and buses edge impatiently along in slow traffic, making frequent stops in front
of the market building to drop off or pick up passengers. Customers stick to the
sidewalks around the building, navigating through informal stalls on the sidewalk
and popping in and out of the street-facing shops. At the main market entrance, a
small plaza provides an open area where shoppers sit on benches and enjoy street
food from mobile vendors hawking ice cream and little bags of popcorn.
A plaza in front of the market provides an open area with public seating for
shoppers, and room for informal vendors to set up shop.
PAGE 51 | AREQUIPA, PERU

Report Title Section Title
AYACUCHO
POPULATION: ~151,000
TOTAL AREA: ~2980 sq. km
(~1,151 sq.mi)
ELEVATION: ~2,760 m
(~9,058 ft)
MARKETS RESEARCHED:
Mercado Central de Abastos,
Mercado 12 de Abril
Ayacucho is surrounded by small agriculturally-

based villages and towns, and the city’s
many markets allow for the exchange of
goods between the region’s rural and urban
populations: rural residents come into
Ayacucho to sell a rich variety of farm-fresh
food products in the city’s markets, and
Ayacucho’s shops offer them a variety of useful
ready-made goods in return.
There are only a few small supermarkets in

Ayacucho, and they primarily offer packaged
foods such as yogurt, milk, crackers and
sweets. For fresh food or other supplies,
people head to the markets. Most markets are
held in large market buildings clustered in one
zone of the city, surrounded by smaller shops
offering goods or services not readily available
in the markets.
MAP KEY
Mercado de Abastos
Mercado 12 de Abril
PLAZA MAYOR
LVD.
AN B
STRI
PEDE
MERCADO DE ABASTOS
SETTING: City Center # OF VENDORS: ~ 450
LAYOUT: Grid GOODS CATEGORY: Fruit, Vegetables, Meat/
FREQUENCY: Daily Seafood, Dry Goods, Artisan Goods, Clothing
Ayacucho’s most prominent market is the Mercado de Abastos. In English,

This entrance area is a vibrant community gathering space.
“Abastos” translates to “provisions,” or “supplies.” The market can be reached
easily by walking down a pedestrian boulevard lined with shops and mobile
vendors selling everything from snacks to phone calls on a cell phone. Many
people arrive at the market using a vehicle: the market has a busy parking area
where mototaxis, taxis and other cars load and unload passengers, and the
market building is bounded on two sides by roads well-trafficked by combi buses.
The market building’s front entrance opens onto the street with a large set of
steps, flanked by small grassy yards and a sidewalk with benches. This entrance
area is a vibrant community gathering space: mobile vendors offer fresh drinks
and snacks, and people use the benches and steps to sit, play, and chat.
Inside the building, Mercado de Abastos provides a range of products and

supplies. Vendors in established stalls sell all the typical fresh and non-perishable Mercado de Abastos provides an broad range of products and supplies,
including pop-up stalls for items such as bread.
food products, and pop-up stands in the market’s main aisles offer fresh bread,
typically only for sale in bread shops outside market buildings. There is also
a large section of traditional clothing and artisanal items, catering to Andean
women needing a new shawl or hat. Mercado de Abastos has a large dining area
in one corner of the building, where busy cooks serve up affordable hot lunches.
In another corner one finds the juice aisle, where customers sip freshly blended
juices at the tiny juice stand counters.
Despite the potentially overwhelming volume and variety of products here,

the Mercado de Abastos is easy to navigate. The building is well-lit and well-
organized. It has high ceilings, wide aisles, and finished tile floors. A clear
wayfinding system directs shoppers to each product section. The market is a
grand introduction to Ayacucho’s informal market zone. A busy dining section sits in the corner of the market building.
PAGE 54 | AYACUCHO, PERU

MERCADO 12 DE ABRIL
SETTING: Market District # OF VENDORS: ~ 550
FREQUENCY: Daily Seafood, Dry Goods
Mercado 12 de Abril is located deep in Ayacucho’s market district, where the

streets are bursting. It seems the same volume of vehicle and pedestrian traffic The prepared food stands are a colorful focal point of the market.
Customers sit and enjoy what they’ve purchased at the stall.
occurring on the wider streets around Mercado de Abastos has been jammed into
narrower roadways. Things are more congested, more colorful and less orderly.
Mercado 12 de Abril is primarily a food market, but there are a variety of

hardware products, kitchen goods, and clothes on offer at the edges. This market
has no grand entrance and no wayfinding signs. The market building consists of
metal walls, wooden support beams and corrugated metal roofing, and the narrow
aisles are made of packed dirt. It is a bit dark, but no one seems to mind. The
market feels very crowded and extremely jolly.
The prepared food stands at Mercado 12 de Abril are particularly lively.

Customers sit on benches, often in front of a counter or long table, taking a
moment to enjoy what they’ve purchased - even if it is just a juice. All the tables Vendors take care to make seating areas inviting . They use tarps and
and counters seem to be built or brought by the vendors themselves, and people sheets to provide extra shade above the benches in front of their stalls.
have taken care to make the seating areas comfortable and inviting using varied
colorful fabrics and pillows. Unlike in Mercado de Abastos, where the juice and
hot food stands are uniformly built and tucked away in the side of the building,
these stands are a colorful focal point in the center of the market.
At the edges, the Mercado 12 de Abril building is a very fluid structure. Almost
every aisle in the market ends with a doorway to the street. Mobile vendors
occupy the sidewalks around the building perimeter, creating a high degree
of activity between the doorways, where the market would otherwise have its
back to the street. Mercado 12 de Abril lacks any outdoor community space,
but the fluidity of the building and the high degree of activity on the sidewalks
surrounding the structure lend themselves to the creation of vibrant micro-
Mobile vendors on the sidewalks create a high degree of activity around
gathering spaces on all four sides of the market. the market. There are many micro gathering spaces around the perimeter.
PAGE 55 | AYACUCHO, PERU

CALLAO
TOTAL AREA: ~148.6 sq. km
(~57.4 sq.mi)
ELEVATION: ~12 m
(~39 ft)
MARKETS RESEARCHED:
Mercado Central
Callao is known as Peru’s most important

port city and as the home of the nation’s main
international airport. To an outsider, Callao
might appear to be part of Lima. While the two
do bleed together, Callao is an independent
city with six districts of its own. It boasts a
small historic district on the coast, a sixty-
year-old market building, and numerous
modern big box stores easily accessible by car.
MAP KEY
Mercado Central de Callao
INDUSTRIAL PORT
WATERFRONT PLAZA PEDESTRIAN BLVDS.

MERCADO CENTRAL DE CALLAO
SETTING: City Center # OF VENDORS: ~ 1,000
FORM: Indoor WAYFINDING: No
LAYOUT: Grid/Radial GOODS CATEGORY: Fruit, Vegetables, Meat/
FREQUENCY: Daily Seafood, Books/Media, Dry Goods, Artisan
Goods, Clothing
Shoppers visit meat counters inside the market.

Callao’s central market building was constructed in the 1940s. It is flanked on two
sides by small arterial roads, providing relatively easy access to the market for
vehicles. Two pedestrian boulevards border the market on the other sides of the
building, creating pleasant public spaces complete with benches and shade trees.
All sides of the market have street-facing stalls, and there is a high volume of foot
traffic on the sidewalks around the building’s perimeter.
The market is primarily devoted to fresh and dry food items, but it is quite a large
building and it contains small sections of stalls offering non-food items such
as music, movies, clothing and handicrafts. In general, the stalls are organized
according to type of good sold; there is a large section for fruit, meat, and fish,
as well as areas where prepared food vendors are clustered. While the market
does not have a formal wayfinding system, each row and stall is clearly numbered,
making it easy for shoppers to find a designated vendor. Throughout the building, The market is primarily devoted to food, but a small number of vendors sell
the market aisles are wide, well lit and relatively easy to navigate. essential non-food items as well.
Callao’s historic Mercado Central is bustling, and it appears to remain an important

destination for Callao residents living or working nearby. Recently, a new market
complex opened outside of the city center in a former industrial zone. This modern
commercial center, known as Minka, combines an enormous traditional food
market with a fish market, mall, and food court. Shoppers from Lima and all over
Callao travel to Minka by public bus, car or taxi (the site is not easily accessible to
pedestrians). Minka contains familiar elements seen in older market buildings, but
everything is done on a much larger scale, outside the historic city center, near
the airport, and surrounded by multilane roads. It seems that while the historic
Mercado Central was once large enough to serve as Callao’s commercial center,
the city has grown out and up, and residents now also demand a more modern, Two sides of the market are flanked by pedestrian boulevards, creating
almost big-box-store-style approach to retail commerce. pleasant public spaces with benches and trees.
PAGE 59 | CALLAO, PERU

CARAZ
POPULATION: ~19,100
TOTAL AREA: ~246.5 sq. km
(~95.2 sq.mi)
ELEVATION: ~2,256 m
(~7,402 ft)
MARKETS RESEARCHED:
Mercado Central
Caraz is one of several small towns nestled in

a river valley that cuts through the Cordillera
Blanca and Cordillera Negra mountain ranges.
Caraz is the only town in this population center
that was not destroyed during a devastating
earthquake in 1970, and it maintains the
lifestyle and architecture of a traditional
Andean village. Caraz is much smaller than the
largest city in the valley, Huaraz, which has
a population of 120,000 people. But, travel
between towns in this region can be arduous,
and Caraz remains an important commercial
hub for small farmers throughout the northern
section valley and the surrounding hills.
MAP KEY
Mercado Central de Caraz
PLAZA MAYOR
MERCADO CENTRAL DE CARAZ
FREQUENCY: Daily Seafood, Dry Goods, Artisan Goods, Clothing
On Sundays, Caraz closes the streets around the market buildings for a
The Mercado Central is Caraz’s primary hub for commerce and transportation. street fair. Informal vendors and shoppers take over the streets.
Street-facing stalls run around the perimeter of all three market buildings,
seamlessly integrating the market with the hundreds of small shops in the
surrounding streets. At either end, long lines of mototaxis wait to transport people
and goods all over town. At the far corner of the market lies the town’s primary bus
stop, where nearly all buses depart for towns in the valley or the hills. In addition to
passenger cargo, the buses often pile sacks of agricultural products, live poultry,
and other goods on their roofs, strapping them down however possible with
makeshift racks and ropes.
Inside the market buildings food is the major focus, with only a few stalls devoted
to flowers, kitchen goods or clothing. All other non-food products are located in
the street-facing market stalls. Beyond that, vendors are not necessarily clustered
by product type, and mobile vendors set up informal stalls wherever they can find The market takes place in three large buildings, each slightly less formally
space. As busy times, the narrows aisles and sidewalks quickly become crowded. constructed than the first. Above, a tin roof covers hundreds of stalls.
The streets around the Mercado Central seem almost as important a community
focal point as the indoor market area. The street-facing market stalls are bustling,
and the small family-run restaurants around the perimeter are as popular (if not
more) than the hot food stalls within the market. On Sundays, the town closes all
streets surrounding the market buildings for the Feria, or street fair. During Feria,
the streets are filled with pop-up stalls selling fresh fruits and vegetables, new and
used home goods, handmade artisan products and street food. Even when Feria is
not officially occurring, the market seems to threaten to take over the roadway, as
shoppers and vendors flow off the sidewalks into the streets.
Vendors come from small isolated towns to set up as part of the Sunday
Feria. They create stalls with whatever materials they have available.
PAGE 63 | CARAZ, PERU

CUSCO
TOTAL AREA: ~70,015 sq. km
(~27,033 sq.mi)
ELEVATION: ~3,399 m
(~11,152 ft)
MARKETS RESEARCHED:
Mercado San Pedro, Mercado
Baratillo
Once the capital of the Inca Empire, Cusco

remains an important historical and cultural
destination. It is the gateway to the ruins of
Machu Picchu, and tourism is a major part
of the city’s economy. Cusco’s streets reveal
layers of history, with well-restored 18th and
19th century colonial architecture built upon
original Inca stonework. On the sidewalks
and in the markets, vendors sell handmade
crafts and traditional street food, mingling
with modern shops and supermarkets, some
of which offer well-heeled tourists a taste of
Peru’s best fine-dining and fashion design.
MAP KEY
Mercado San Pedro
PUBLIC PLAZA
PEDESTRIAN BLVD.
MERCADO SAN PEDRO
FREQUENCY: Daily Seafood, Dry Goods, Religious Items, Artisan
Goods, Clothing, Plants/Flowers
Cusco is famous as a hub for artisan products, and stalls in Mercado San
Mercado San Pedro is located in a large rectangular building about six blocks from Pedro reflect this . Artisan goods take up several aisles of the market.
Cusco’s central plaza, and one block from the regional train station. One side of the
market building is flanked by the busy Calle Santa Clara, where taxis and buses
edge along in the midst of heavy vehicle and pedestrian traffic. Sidewalks on this
side of the market are crowded with informal vendors, huddled along the market
wall and on the steps of each doorway. By contrast, the “main” entrance to the
market is much quieter, with fewer mobile vendors and one large doorway opening
into a tranquil plaza with several benches and trees. Parallel to Santa Clara, along
the other side of the building, a wide pedestrian boulevard provides a more tranquil
approach to the market for those arriving on foot.
Mercado San Pedro is considered Cusco’s primary food market, but vendors offer
a range of non-food related goods often not available in smaller food markets.
In addition to traditional items such as fruits, vegetables, meats and dry goods, A whole new set of vendors set up shop in the center of an aisle around
the market has entire aisles devoted to fresh bread, flowers, and natural cures Easter, selling special holiday breads and traditional holiday foods.
and herbs. Prepared food is a major focal point, with large central sections of
the market devoted to hot meals, and fresh juices. Tourists mingle with locals,
sampling local dishes and wandering down the aisles devoted to artisan goods.
The market building has high ceilings and relatively low stalls, making it feel grand
and open throughout. Signs direct shoppers to the various market sectors with
labels in Spanish, English and Quechua, the indigenous language that has been
in use since the Inca occupied the area. The market’s aisles are wide and well-
paved, although pop-up vendors selling special items on weekends and holidays
can create congestion in the main arterial aisles. It is clear that despite the modern
supermarkets and fine-dining establishments that Cusco has to offer, tourists and
residents alike still flock to this traditional market for fresh and prepared foods Near the formal entrance to the market, vendors gather on the pedestrian
every day of the week. boulevard, selling their wares on the steps.
PAGE 67 | CUSCO, PERU

MAP KEY
Mercado Baratillo
AVE.
DEL EJ
ERCI
TO
AVE
RAU .G
MERCADO BARATILLO
LAYOUT: Linear GOODS CATEGORY: Books/Media, Artisan
FREQUENCY: Saturday Only Goods, Clothing, Electronics, Antiques
Every Saturday, the Baratillo flea market fills blocks and blocks of narrow side
streets off the busy four-lane roadway of Aveinda del Ejercito. The market is
located several blocks downhill from an overpass at Avenida Grau, and it is easily
accessible via bus, taxi, or sidewalk.
Vendors at Baratillo sell a huge variety of new and used items, from street food
and clothing to electronics, tires, and tools. Cusco residents joke that if you have
a camera or phone stolen, this is the place to go to buy it back. Stalls are entirely
homemade. Some vendors lay merchandise on tables and use tarps overhead
to provide shade, others simply set their wares on a blanket on the ground and
sit beside it. There are no organized merchandise sections to speak of - vendors
simply set up shop where they are able to find space. The market is quite crowded,
and shoppers shuffle slowly along the two narrows rows on each street, appraising
the merchandise on either side of the footpath as they go. The Baratillo flea market fills blocks and blocks of residential side
streets. Vendors set up informal stalls using tarps and tables.
While there are other weekend street markets in Cusco, Baratillo is by far the
largest and most popular (although its reputation as a haven for pickpockets tends
to deter most tourists from attending). Every inch of the sprawling market feels
boisterous and lively. Aisles are filled with conversations as vendors and customers
haggle on all sides.
The market is buzzing with vendors and customers haggling over prices.
PAGE 69 | CUSCO, PERU

CHILE

SANTIAGO
POPULATION: ~5.4 million
(~247.6 sq.mi)
ELEVATION: ~520 m (~1,706 ft)
MARKETS RESEARCHED:
Mercado Central
Santiago is a modern South

American capital city, with a
high-functioning public transit
system, and a great network
of bike trails and parks. It is
home to many multinational
corporations, with high-
rise office and apartment
buildings forming an impressive
skyline. Shopping centers and
supermarkets offer fresh and
packaged foods to cosmopolitan
customers from early morning
until late at night.

MAP KEY
Mercado Central de Santiago
PUBLIC PLAZA
ISMA
EL V
ALD
ES VER
GAR
A
MERCADO CENTRAL
LAYOUT: Radial GOODS CATEGORY: Vegetables, Meat/Seafood
FREQUENCY: Daily
Vendors at this market primarily sell fresh fish and shellfish.

Santiago’s Mercado Central is located in a large, beautifully restored building. The (Photo by Jake Izenberg)
front of the market faces the busy street of Ismael Valdes Vergara, but a small
plaza at the entrance provides a buffer from the traffic and allows plenty of space
for pedestrians to step back and admire the building. And, the wide roadway makes
the market easy to access for public buses, taxis, and tour buses alike.
The market opens to the surrounding street grid with street-facing stalls. These
stalls create a moderate degree of pedestrian activity in the sidewalks around the
market, but there are few mobile vendors to be found. On the three smaller streets
surrounding the market, car traffic moves slowly and pedestrians stroll tranquilly
down the wide, open sidewalks. At the middle of each block, ornate arched
doorways provide entranceways into the building.
Weather you enter from the grand front entrance or a side street, it is clear that Meat, cheese, vegetable and dry goods vendors round out the market’s
the Mercado Central is a culinary destination. A significant portion of the market offerings. (Photo by Jake Izenberg)
is devoted to restaurants, and it is a popular lunchtime spot for tourists and locals
alike. Non-restaurant vendors primarily sell fresh fish and shellfish, with a handful
of meat, vegetable and dry goods vendors interspersed. But, the prepared-food
eateries seem to be the heart of the market.
Lower-priced and more informal restaurants encircle the market from the inside.
The central atrium is dominated by fine-dining establishments, with rustic wooden
chairs and white linen tablecloths. Most restaurants specialize in seafood dishes,
and all have at least one staff-person beaconing customers inside; the market is
abuzz with conversations about how each restaurant’s chef has prepared the catch
of the day.
The historic market building features a grand dining area where tourists
and locals enjoy prepared meals. (Photo by Jake Izenberg)
PAGE 73 | SANTIAGO, CHILE

VALPARAISO
POPULATION: ~275,90
(~150 sq.mi)
ELEVATION: ~10 m (~30 ft)
MARKETS RESEARCHED:
Feria de Avenida Argentina; Merced
Feria de Antiquidades y Libros;
Mercado el Cardonal
Valparaiso is a port city on Chile’s

central coast, about 75 miles from
Santiago. Valparaíso’s port is an
important regional shipping hub, and
brightly colored shipping containers
are a striking part of the city’s
landscape. A few blocks in from the
water, historic plazas quickly give
way to hills covered by the street-art
and Victorian-style houses for which
the city is famous. The city’s unique
geography and historically significant
architecture have earned it distinction
as a UNESCO world heritage site. While
Valparaíso residents have many modern
supermarkets and shops available to them,
markets remain vibrant commercial and
social destinations.
MAP KEY
Mercado Cardonal
Merced Feria de Antigüedades y Libros
Feria de Avenida Argentina
AVE
DE.
ARG
ENT
INA
PLAZA O’HIGGINS
MERCED FERIA DE ANTIGÜEDADES Y LIBROS
SETTING: Park # OF VENDORS: ~ 75
LAYOUT: Linear GOODS CATEGORY: Antiques
FREQUENCY: Sundays
Every Sunday, vendors from the Merced market offer a curated selection
Vendors at the Merced Feria de Antigüedades y Libros offer a curated selection of antiques, colletors’ items and books.
of antiques, collectors’ items and books. Set at the southern edge of the large,
open Plaza O’Higgins, the market feels charming and tranquil. Vendors sell their
merchandise from small portable stalls under an antique roof structure with
open sides. Shoppers stroll down the wide sidewalks on either side of the market
structure, making a circuit around the perimeter to visit each vendor. The roof
structure features retractable lateral awnings, creating ample, uniform shade for
shoppers.
The market is small and fluid and feels very much a part of the plaza. Many
shoppers walk into the plaza to sit and socialize on nearby benches. There are few
prepared food offerings near the market, but mobile vendors offer popular street
foods and drinks throughout the rest of the public space. Informal vendors set up
shop in the pathways through the plaza, selling used books and clothing items. At Vendors sell merchandise from small portable stalls under an antique roof
the edge of the market, a street musician plays the harp for a crowd of shoppers structure with open sides.
and plaza visitors.
At the northern edge of the plaza, fast-moving buses and taxis shuttle people
across town. On all other sides of the plaza, the streets are relatively quiet, with
slower moving traffic. On Sundays, most of the small shops and restaurants in
these surrounding streets are closed, leaving the market and the plaza as the
major hub of activity.
The market is set at the southern edge of a large open park, and vendors
spill out of the market roof structure into the walkways of the park.
PAGE 77 | VALPARAISO, CHILE

FERIA DE AVENIDA ARGENTINA
SETTING: City Center Edge # OF VENDORS: ~250
LAYOUT: Linear GOODS CATEGORY: Artisan Goods, Clothing,
FREQUENCY: Sundays Electronics, Antiques
In this weekly market, hundreds of vendors set up shop in three long rows
Every Sunday, hundreds of vendors set up shop in three long rows along the central along the central median of Valparaíso’s Avenida de Argentina.
median of Valparaíso’s Avenida de Argentina. They use folding tents or tarps
for shade, set their goods on tables or portable racks or simply on the ground.
They sell antiques, used clothes, books, and shoes. They sell electronics, tools,
hardware items and household goods of every kind imaginable. While fresh food is
a rarity, countless mobile vendors sell prepared food products such as empanadas,
mote drinks and grilled meat skewers.
The three long rows are punctuated by a few cross streets which break the market
up into distinct sections. Stalls are not organized by merchandise category and
there is no wayfinding system in place, so shoppers travel slowly up and down the
crowded rows to see what vendors have to offer. Stalls located at the outer edge
of the median have their back to the car traffic along either side of Avenida de
Argentina, protecting the vibrant pedestrian environment inside the market from The variety of goods at this market is dizzying. You’ll find fresh
fast-moving traffic on the roadway. strawberries right next to second hand clothing and electronics.
The crowds of shoppers have many ways to arrive at this market. It is five blocks
from rail and bus transit lines running along the coast, accessible by car or taxi
along Avenida de Argentina, and safe to reach on foot thanks to ample signalized
pedestrian crossings along the roadway. Sidewalks approaching the market are
filled with clusters of informal vendors, hoping to take advantage of the flow
of pedestrians traveling to and from the market. On Calle Juana Ross, a tiny
pedestrian street running perpendicular to Avenida de Argentina, informal vendors
have even created somewhat of a secondary “echo” market, mainly selling used
clothing and shoes. There are large hardware and supermarket stores nearby, but
the market remains an important destination. With affordable goods and ample
street food, this market is popular place to eat, shop and enjoy a Sunday stroll. Informal vendors create secondary “echo” markets on nearby sidewalks and
streets, taking advantage of the foot traffic in the area.

MERCADO EL CARDONAL
LAYOUT: Radial GOODS CATEGORY: Fruit, Vegetables
FREQUENCY: Daily
Mercado Cardonal is inside an historic market building easily accessible to

The sidewalks on the industrial streets surrounding Mercado el Cardonal are rather the port and the central business zone of the city.
quiet. Foot traffic is heavy on the nearby commercial street, but activity fades
for a few blocks as you approach the market. But, then you hit it. The sidewalks
are packed. Street-facing stalls are open for business, with tables full of fruits
and vegetables spilling into the sidewalk. Where the sidewalk meets the road,
informal vendors sell more fresh produce from boxes, pallets, or shopping carts,
transforming parts of the sidewalk at the market’s perimeter into a crowded two-
sided outdoor aisle.
In some street facing stalls (primarily on the side facing the industrial waterfront),
large trucks load and unload massive bins of produce. Unlike many historic urban
markets, Mercado el Cardonal is easily accessible to trucks. Medium-sized trucks
pull right up to the street facing stalls, some of which have loading bays available.
Other trucks park along the wide shoulder of Calle Brasil, which feeds easily The first floor of the market is full of stalls offering fresh produce.
into the arterial roadways running up and down the city’s industrial waterfront.
Wholesale commerce is a visible part of the activity outside the market.
Still, the market has much to offer individual shoppers approaching on foot.
Shoppers enter through ornate iron doors on all four sides of the building. The first
floor is easily navigable, with wide well-lit aisles and a radial floor plan. First floor
vendors sell fresh fruits and vegetables. The entire second floor of the building is
devoted to cooking and eating. At the top of the stairs, diners are greeted with an
informal art exhibit displaying large photographs of the market, including portraits
of vendors and shoppers. Restaurants on this floor beckon every passing person
inside, offering affordable multi-course lunches. Seating areas are located around
the perimeter of the building, and diners enjoy a view of the city through huge
antique windows. The second floor of the building is home to dozens of tiny restaurants
where shoppers can enjoy prepared food and a view of the street below.

ARGENTINA
SALTA
(~23 sq.mi)
ELEVATION: ~1,152 m
(~3,780 ft)
MARKETS RESEARCHED:
Mercado San Miguel
Salta is an attractive
city in the in the Lerma
Valley in Northern Argentina. It boasts
well-restored colonial-era architecture,
sophisticated cafes, and modern shops
and restaurants. The beautiful landscape
and great wine and restaurants make
it a destination for tourists, but if you
wander far enough away from Salta’s
main plaza, it is clear that the city also
attracts people from rural Argentina and
Bolivia who come to the city looking for
work and education.
PLAZA PRINCIPAL
PEDESTRIA
N BOULEVA
R D: THREE
BLOCKS
PEDESTRIA
N B O U LE VA RD: THREE
BLOCKS
Mercado San Miguel
MAP KEY
MERCADO SAN MIGUEL
FREQUENCY: Daily Seafood, Books/Media, Dry Goods, Religious Items,
Artisan Goods, Clothing, Electronics,
Plants/Flowers
Mercado San Miguel is located on a pedestrian boulevard running south

Mercado San Miguel is three blocks away from Salta’s center, on the second of two from the city’s main plaza. It almost blends in with the other store facades.
parallel pedestrian streets running south from the city’s main plaza. Both pedestrian
streets are pleasant public spaces, with shops and restaurants on both sides and
benches covered in shade located in the center.
The market building has street facing shops on all sides and blends in well with the
continuous facade of commercial storefronts on the street. It is a surprise to enter
the building’s unassuming doorway and realize you are inside a massive multi-tiered
market.
Mercado San Miguel has well-organized sections of merchandise: fruits, vegetables,

meat, artisan goods, and many items not usually found in central food markets such
as electronics, plants, and clothing. There is a large central dining section on the
ground floor of the market, and all the balconies and terraces of the second floor There is a large central dining section on the ground floor of the market,
are filled with restaurants, too. All of the restaurants serve affordable meals, and and restaurants line the 2nd floor balconies and terraces as well.
musicians weave through the tables, serenading diners. Although the market is
large and multi-tiered, it is relatively easy to navigate thanks to large maps at the
entrance and adequate wayfinding signage throughout.
The market is a short walk away from the historic city center, and its location on
the corner of the arterial Calle San Martin makes it easy to access by bus or taxi.
Shoppers arriving in their own car can use the parking garage below ground. The
market is located in an area that used to be known as La Banda - a neighborhood
where many new immigrants and poorer residents lived. Today, the block where the
market sits is a noticeable border area marking the end of Salta’s touristic zone and
the beginning of a working-class residential neighborhood. While there is a large
modern supermarket less than two blocks away, Mercado San Miguel remains a Mercado San Miguel has well-organized sections of merchandise, including
popular and accessible destination for affordable shopping. many fruit and vegetable stands.
PAGE 83 | SALTA, ARGENTINA

BOLIVIA

LA PAZ
(~182 sq.mi)
ELEVATION: ~3,640 m
(~11,942 ft)
MARKETS RESEARCHED:
Mercado de la Brujas, Mercado Rodriguez
La Paz is a densely populated mountain city, with

busy streets running down a deep valley and
buildings clinging to the hillsides. It is adjacent
to El Alto - once a suburb of La Paz, but now
considered one of South America’s fastest
growing cities in its own right. La Paz is often
described as one big market, because it seems
the city’s streets and sidewalks are always full of
vendors selling one thing or another.
MAP KEY
Mercado Rodriguez
MERCADO RODRIGUEZ
SETTING: City Center Edge/ # OF VENDORS: ~1,000
Market District WAYFINDING: No
FORM: Indoor, Street Market GOODS CATEGORY: Fruit, Vegetables, Meat/
LAYOUT: Grid, Linear Seafood, Dry Goods, Plants/Flowers
FREQUENCY: Daily
Blocks before the market formally begins, the sidewalks are crowded with
About five blocks from the main commercial center of La Paz, Mercado Rodriguez vendors who’ve created stalls wherever they could find space.
provides a sprawling welcome to a cluster of markets, each with their own
specialty. Blocks before Mercado Rodriguez formally begins, the sidewalks become
more and more crowded in a crescendo of informal vendors that culminates at
the market building entrance. The market building houses a dining area on the
top floor, and below, meats, some produce, flowers, and street-facing stalls
specializing in dry goods. At first glance, one might think this building is Mercado
Rodriguez, when in fact, it is only the beginning.
Mercado Rodriguez spills out of the market building and rambles up the hill of Calle
Rodriguez, occupying nearly five blocks of street space. Vendors entirely fill the
street - it is never open to vehicle traffic. Stalls outside of the market building are
primarily simple and informal, with blankets and pallets or tables used to display
merchandise, and tarps hung overhead for shade. The majority of vendors are there Mercado Rodriguez runs for nearly five blocks in the street adjacent to it’s
to sell fruits and vegetables, although some stalls near the market building offer official home in the market building structure.
cheese, dry beans, grains, and pastas. Throughout the market, vendors with small
blue carts sell spices. On the ground floor of buildings along the street, brick-and-
mortar shops and restaurants open into the market space, taking advantage of the
high volume of foot traffic along the sidewalk.
While no vehicles can enter the street market itself, buses, taxis and mototaxis run
up and down cross streets, providing ample access to the market at the ends of
each block. Traffic is slow and congested along these side streets, and pedestrians
generally have adequate time and space to move across the roadway.
After five blocks, Mercado Rodriguez begins to peter out at the top of a hill, where
the streets flatten out and continue on into a large market zone with smaller food The market streets are reserved for pedestrians only, but vehicles run up
markets, an electronics market, and a furniture market. and down the busy cross streets, shuttling shoppers around.
PAGE 87 | LA PAZ, BOLOVIA

MAP KEY
Mercado de Brujas
PLAZA
SAN FRANCISCO
MERCADO DE BRUJAS (“WITCHES MARKET”)
SETTING: City Center # OF VENDORS: ~75
LAYOUT: Linear GOODS CATEGORY: Religious Items, Artisan
FREQUENCY: Daily Goods
Mercado de Brujas consists of approximately 75 shops oriented towards a

La Paz’s Mercado de Brujas specializes in items needed for natural cures and quiet pedestrianized street.
religious and spiritual rituals. This includes herbs, incense, talismans, candles, and
all manner of altar decorations and offerings.
The market consists of a grouping of shops along two small pedestrian blocks
in the city’s historic center, with a handful of additional shops and street stalls
scattered along the half-block approach to the market. Buses and taxis run
frequently along the main street bisecting the two market blocks, and the market is
easy to reach on foot from La Paz’s main central plaza.
Today, the Mercado de Brujas is one of La Paz’s top tourist attractions. Within
the two main blocks devoted to the market, traditional “Brujas” shops that seem
truly lost in time mingle with souvenir shops selling colorful ponchos and llama key
chains. Still, the market appears to remain an important destination for a spiritual Vendors at this market specialize in items needed for natural cures and
culture that is still very alive in Bolivia. While tourists stroll along the narrow street, religious or spiritual rituals.
taking photos of the shops, Bolivian shoppers consult spiritual advisors in the
stores or stop on the sidewalk to have a coca leaf reading.
Looking for luck in love? Success in business? A happy home? Endless

Riches? Whatever your wish for, there’s a candle to help you get it.
PAGE 89 | LA PAZ, BOLOVIA

COPACABANA
POPULATION: ~6,000
(~130 sq.mi)
ELEVATION: ~3,600 m
(~12,00 ft)
MARKETS RESEARCHED:
Mercado Modelo de Copacabana
Copacabana is tucked between two green hills on

the shore of Lake Titicaca. Despite its small size,
Copacabana is an important hub for commerce
and transport in the region; it is the primary
jumping-off point for the many tourists who come
to visit Isla del Sol (island of the sun), and the only
nearby town for residents on the lake’s islands and
in the smaller towns along the shore.
MAP KEY
Mercado Modelo de Copacabana
PEDESTRIA
PEDESTRIA
N BLVD.
LVD. NB
PLAZA
MAYOR
LAKE
TITICACA
MERCADO MODELO COPACABANA
SETTING: City Center # OF VENDORS: ~75
LAYOUT: Circular GOODS CATEGORY: Fruit, Vegetables, Meat/
FREQUENCY: Daily Seafood, Dry Goods
Mercado Copacabana is the only place to find a wide selection of food

The Mercado Modelo Copacabana lies in the corner of the city’s main plaza, items. This city has no supermarket .
where tourist buses and taxis stop to drop passengers coming into the city.
Those arriving by boat can easily reach the market on foot, as it is just five blocks
from the water’s edge. The market is an important destination for tourists, city
residents, islanders and nearby townsfolk alike - Mercado Modelo Copacabana
is the only place to find a wide selection of food items as Copacabana has no
supermarket.
The market has approximately 50 stalls inside the building, organized in two
concentric rings. The outer ring of stalls is devoted to meat, dry goods, and
vegetables. The smaller inner ring is devoted to fresh fruit. There is a small dining
section offering hot food during lunchtime. The market is small and easy to
navigate, with good lighting and relatively wide aisles.
The market is organized in a circular floor plan, with stalls arranged in two
The outer walls of the market building have street-facing stalls, where small shops concentric rings.
sell dry goods and meat. The building is flanked on two sides with pedestrian
streets, full of shops and family-run restaurants. In the center of the pedestrian
streets, vendors set up small stands to sell hot food and snacks such as cereals,
nuts and dried fruit.
Pedestrian streets adjacent to the market are full of vendors who have set
up temporary stalls on folding tables.
PAGE 93 | COPACABANA, BOLOVIA

URUGUAY
MONTEVIDEO
POPULATION: ~1.3 million
(~80 sq.mi)
ELEVATION: ~43m
(~140 ft)
MARKETS RESEARCHED:
Mercado “de Viernes”
Uruguay’s capital city is a vibrant place, full

of attractive cafes, eclectic restaurants, and
historic architecture. Modern supermarkets,
malls and office buildings stand side by side
with art deco and neo-classical structures in
various states of repair. Even Montevideo’s
quieter residential neighborhoods contain
a high mixture of uses, with cafes, bars
and bookshops on the ground floor of small
apartment buildings located along tree-lined
streets.

MAP KEY
Mercado “de Viernes”
CALLE GUANA
CALLE CHARRUA
CALLE DR. PABL

O DE MARIA
PARQUE
RODO
RIO DE PLATA
MERCADO “DE VIERNES”
SETTING: Neighborhood Center # OF VENDORS: ~50
FORM: Street Market WAYFINDING: Yes
LAYOUT: Linear GOODS CATEGORY: Fruit, Vegetables, Meat/
FREQUENCY: Fridays Seafood, Dry Goods
Mercado “de Viernes” is a weekly food and grocery market set up on a

Every Friday at the edge of the Cordon neighborhood (or barrio) of Montevideo, neighborhood side street every Friday.
a food market takes over Calle Dr. Pablo de Maria for one block, between Calles
Guana and Churrua. The market is located where barrio Cordon, a commercialized
neighborhood near the center of the city, meets barrio Parque Rodo, a residential
neighborhood characterized by tree-lined streets and small verdant parks.
With the street closed to traffic, vendors set up stalls in simple metal frames along
the both lanes of the road, creating one wide aisle for shoppers in the middle.
Fresh fruit and vegetables dominate one side of this aisle. The other side has a
mix of produce stands and “stores on wheels” - repurposed trucks and vans selling
specialty and packaged food items. One truck is devoted to fresh fish; another to
cheese and dairy products, while a third sells practical goods for the kitchen and
home, including packaged foods, cleaning supplies and toilet paper.
Trucks selling non-produce items make the market a one-stop shop for
Calle Dr. Pablo de Maria is the only street that is officially closed for the market, neighborhood residents looking to do the weekend shopping a bit early.
but vendors spill out into nearby sidewalks and streets, ignoring the vehicle traffic
slowly rolling past. The market is not located near the center of the city, but it is
accessible to neighborhood residents by bus, taxi and tranquil sidewalk on both
sides. The market’s small size and wide central aisle make it easy to navigate.
Seating is not provided, but there is plenty of space for shoppers to stop and chat
with one another in the middle of aisle without blocking the flow of other customers
browsing market merchandise.
The Friday Market is a popular destination for shopping and socializing, despite the
fact that the neighborhood is well served by supermarkets, bakeries, and corner
stores selling boxes of produce all days of the week. The markets intimate size and
pleasant location, on a quiet tree-lined street, make it an attractive and friendly Near the market, informal vendors set up shop on the street, selling used
place to pick up ingredients for dinner. clothes, books, appliances and other items.
PAGE 97 | MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY

CONCLUSIONS
The markets presented in this report are diverse. They vary in size,
configuration, merchandise category, and degree of formality. They operate in
different cities with different regulatory frameworks and market landscapes.
Nevertheless, they share a number of common characteristics that contribute
to their vibrancy and importance as commercial and social centers. These
“success factors” merit consideration in the context of the relatively recent
North American public market renaissance. They provide inspiration and,
hopefully, get the reader to think about how to help markets in the U.S.
continue to grow and prosper.
FULL-DAY HOURS OF OPERATION

Noticeably, most markets observed for this report are open all day. Those
open every day of the week open very early each day and slow down in the
afternoon, with a handful of vendors remaining open until as late as 7 or 8PM.
Markets occurring once per week were open for nearly the full day, too, from
morning until at least the late afternoon. None of the markets studied observed
the “half-day” hours often seen in outdoor weekend markets in the U.S. Longer
hours undoubtedly make the markets more accessible for shoppers. But, what
about vendors? Are the sales really high enough to merit the longer hours?
If there is balance in the market landscape, the answer should be yes. That
is to say, if there are too many markets in an area, vendors and shoppers will
be spread thin, and the commercial activity in each individual market cannot
possibly reach a very high level. But, with the right number of centrally located
markets, it seems, vendors see a commercial benefit to remaining open for the
entire day.
Neighborhood context is also an important factor in the viability of full-day

markets. Most of the daily markets in this report are located in relatively
dense, walkable, and mixed-use neighborhoods, with plenty of foot traffic from
morning until night. The markets are located near housing, transportation hubs,
public spaces, convenient stores and restaurants. In this context, they are well
positioned to make sales throughout the day and evening, all week long.
Salta’s multi-tiered Mercado San Miguel is open from morning until late
in the evening almost every day of the week.
PAGE 100 | CONCLUSIONS

ACCESSIBLE AND CENTRAL LOCATION
Accessibility and location are important to the success and vibrancy of markets.
For a market to remain a viable commercial hub, it must provide vendors and
shoppers with workable options for moving goods in and out. If shoppers have to
walk too far with their purchases to the nearest transit stop, for example, they will
be hesitant to do a lot of shopping at the market. All of the markets highlighted in
this study were easily accessible by public transit or private vehicle, and most were
located in a city or neighborhood center.
PROTECTION FROM THE ELEMENTS

Whether indoor or outdoor, most markets provided protection from the elements. A
large number of markets were located in buildings or under simple but permanent
roof structures. Outdoor markets nearly always incorporated cloth or tarps
over significant sections of the market aisles, providing shade from the sun and
protection against the elements. This less formal aisle protection appeared to be
placed by vendors who worked “across the aisle” with their neighbors, improving
customer comfort and making the market a viable destination on hot and rainy days
alike.
NAVIGABLE AISLES
Markets displayed varying degrees of aisle navigability, and those with navigable Cars and pedestrians approach the market district in Ayacucho, Peru.
aisles were decidedly more pleasant to visit. Market aisle width is the most
important factor contributing to navigability: an aisle should allow enough room for
shoppers to stop and purchase items at a stall, while still leaving room for others
to pass by and continue moving along. For a linear market with stalls on one side
only, this means the aisle space must be wide enough for at least two bodies (one
to stop and one to pass). A two-side aisle ought to provide room for four bodies
at any given time. Appropriate lighting, ventilation and wayfinding also contribute
to navigability, depending on market size and context. While the equation for
navigable aisles varies, it is an important consideration for shopper comfort and
vendor success.
Vendors use cloth or tarps to protect their stalls and customers from
the hot sun in Caraz, Peru.

BROAD SELECTION OF GOODS
Markets are typically associated with an overwhelming variety of goods, and this
proved true in the markets studied here. It is important to note that the markets
studied offered variety within each goods category and, in most cases, a high
number of goods categories, too. In other words, there was a vast array of fruit
and vegetables types on display, but there were also vendors selling a vast array
of kitchen goods, paper products, clothes and school supplies. In this scenario, the
market is a one-stop-shop, much like today’s big chain supermarkets or discount
stores. In a market landscape full of options for the consumer, markets must offer
a good selection across a variety of goods categories to be competetive. Dried fruits, packaged snacks, and sauces at this stall compliment the
fresh produce and meat sold elsewhere within the market building.
AFFORDABILITY
One of the most important draws of the market is that it is affordable to shop
there. In most of the markets studied here, merchandise proved again and again
to be cheaper than at supermarkets. An affordable market is accessible to all, and
thus becomes an important space for commercial and social activities. In cases
where the market is not particularly affordable, it must occupy some niche to merit
the higher cost; this is seen in the case of the BioFeria markets in Lima, where the
market offers specialty and organic products not easily found elsewhere in the city.
While exceptions such as the BioFeria do exist, the overall culture of market as a
public space, affordable to all, remains dominant. In this framework, the market
is seen as an important public resource. This is an interesting contrast to the
The stalls in this aisle offer dishwashing soaps and other household
cultural conception of today’s farmers’ markets in the U.S., which have often been items, in addition to prepared foods and snacks.
associated with high quality and therefore high cost.
SAFETY
Safety is an important concern in many of the markets studied for this report. Most
markets studied here are, as discussed above, intended to be accessible to all.
They are bustling, crowded places where people from all walks of life mix together.
There is a lot of activity, and money is constantly changing hands.
While the markets surveyed generally felt safe, some issues remain challenging.
Pick pocketing, for example, is a common concern. In response, many markets
have uniformed security guards at key entrances and roaming throughout the
market. Through informal interviews the vendors and shoppers, it seemed that The aisles above are well-lit and feel safe for shopping and lingering.

security guards were deemed a wise and appropriate measure to maintain a
safe environment in the market. There is also the concern that some degree
of “cheating” may occur around transactions, since markets are typically less
regulated than a supermarket or formalized store. To combat this, markets are
often equipped with public scales, intended to allow customers to weigh their
purchases to verify that the vendor has not shorted or overcharged them. These
practical safety concerns can threaten the viability of the market if they are not
addressed. The majority of markets studied here displayed concrete efforts to
keep the market a safe place to shop.
PREPARED FOOD AND SEATING

Many of the markets visited for this study incorporated the sale of prepared food.
Almost without exception, seating for diners was located right in front or to the
side of the stall where the food was prepared and sold. In some cases, the market
architecture incorporated counters and stools as seating for each individual
prepared food vendor. But, it was also quite common to see prepared food
vendors creating their own seating areas for customers. They used chairs, wooden
benches, milk crates, and even the tops of coolers for seating. They placed tents or
simple tarps above the seats to provide protection from the elements. By whatever
means they did it, vendors made sure their customers had a comfortable place to
sit right where they bought their food or drink. In most cases, customers lingered
at the stall and shared space with each other for a while in a pleasant social space.
This practice is quite different from what we see at most farmers’ markets or
Friends gather and eat prepared food on benches in the
food truck markets in the U.S. today, where customers buy food at a stall in one market dining area.
location and then either walk off to a small seating area somewhere else, sit on a
curb or give up on seating entirely and gobble down the food standing up. Allowing
vendors to provide a small amount of seating near their stall is a preferable option
for customer comfort and the creation of a social atmosphere in the market.
MULTI-LEVEL VENDING
Every market included in this report incorporated vendors of varying degrees of
formalization: there are vendors who have had established stalls in a particular
market for decades side by side with vendors setting up makeshift stalls on the
floor and ambulatory vendors weaving through both of them, selling their wares
on foot. This high degree of variety creates a rich experience for the customer, Cart vendors catch customers outside of Mercado 12
adding to the excitement of the market atmosphere and providing him or her de Abril in Ayacucho.

with more options for purchasing merchandise or food. Multi-level vending also
lowers barriers of entry for informal entrepreneurs because it allows vendors to
participate in the market and sell their goods, even if they cannot afford to rent a
formal stall.
But, are these vendors really allowed to sell on foot? And, if so, would it be safe for
the customer to buy from them? In the markets studied here, ambulatory vendors
are likely participating without formal permission or regulation; someone is looking
the other way. This means they likely do not pay anything to access the commercial
opportunities the market provides, nor are they subject to any oversight in terms
of product quality or safety. And, they are always in danger of being caught and Sidewalk vendors set up outside Mercado 12 de Abril in Ayacucho.
penalized for selling illegally. This scenario can be problematic for established
vendors, who pay to participate in the market, and for customers, who may get sick
from food they buy from an unregulated mobile vendor. It can also be problematic
for the informal vendors themselves, as they are at risk of being penalized for
illegal street vending. An ideal solution, it seems, would be to structure market
participation in tiers, subjecting vendors to an appropriate degree of oversight with
an appropriate fee for participation at each level for formalization. A tiered vending
structure preserves the vibrancy and variety that multi-level vending affords,
without the risks and frustrations to vendors and customers.
INTEGRATION OF PUBLIC SPACE AND/OR

PEDESTRIAN STREETS Vendors sell flowers outside clothing stores in Ayacucho’s Market district.
A significant number of markets studied for this report incorporate either a

pedestrian street or small plaza near the market, and some include both. The
inclusion of pedestrian streets and open public spaces around the market improves
walkability and provides space for socialization and “street appropriation” – the
use of street or public space for activities other than permanent commerce,
such as outdoor eating and street-vending. These areas establish the market as
a community gathering space and encourage customers to linger – a goal worth
pursuing in any city, no matter the context!
The street outside Caraz’s central market is closed to car traffic and open
to pedestrians only every Sunday.

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MERCADO

LESSONS FROM 20 MARKETS ACROSS SOUTH AMERICA

WRITTEN BY JULIE FLYNN | EDITED BY MIKE LYDON

Mike Lydon, Principal

Pikes Place Market, Seattle | Photo by Jake Izenberg

number of known 7175

farmers’ markets 6132

The modern South American market landscape is incredibly diverse. It

As a first step to understanding this complex market landscape, we will start

A “market zone” in La Paz, Bolivia, includes a street

Callao PERU Cusco BRAZIL

The diversity of locations certainly Arequipa BOLIVIA

contributed to the unique character

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MERCADO CENTRAL (CARAZ)

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GRID TERRACED GRID

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Examples: Mercado Cardonal (Valparaiso, Chile);

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.PAGE 32 | LIMA, PERU

Lima’s Chorillos District lies on the coast

Photo by Jake Izenberg.

PAGE 35 | LIMA, PERU

Lima’s central district contains some of the

Amazonas is one of the largest book markets in South America. It is

Miraflores is one of Lima’s wealthiest

Photo by Jake Izenberg.

AVE. REPUBLICA DE PANAMA

Polvoes Verdes is a small flower market serving the Miraflores District.

Polvos Verdes is organized for optimal vehicle accessibility. It is located at the

Vendors travel each morning to the enormous Acho flower market in

PAGE 43 | LIMA, PERU

The BioFeria began as a Saturday market in Miraflores, sharing many

PAGE 45 | LIMA, PERU

In October of 2012, the BioFeria opened a second market on Sundays. The

PAGE 47 | LIMA, PERU

Arequipa is Peru’s second most populous

PAGE 51 | AREQUIPA, PERU

Ayacucho is surrounded by small agriculturally-

There are only a few small supermarkets in

Ayacucho’s most prominent market is the Mercado de Abastos. In English,

Inside the building, Mercado de Abastos provides a range of products and

Despite the potentially overwhelming volume and variety of products here,

PAGE 54 | AYACUCHO, PERU

Mercado 12 de Abril is located deep in Ayacucho’s market district, where the

Mercado 12 de Abril is primarily a food market, but there are a variety of

The prepared food stands at Mercado 12 de Abril are particularly lively.

PAGE 55 | AYACUCHO, PERU

Callao is known as Peru’s most important

WATERFRONT PLAZA PEDESTRIAN BLVDS.

Shoppers visit meat counters inside the market.

Callao’s historic Mercado Central is bustling, and it appears to remain an important

PAGE 59 | CALLAO, PERU

Caraz is one of several small towns nestled in

PAGE 63 | CARAZ, PERU

Once the capital of the Inca Empire, Cusco

PAGE 67 | CUSCO, PERU

PAGE 69 | CUSCO, PERU