Healthy Corner Stores Network

Oakland has a new Pop-up Neighborhood–five stores all opening at the same time in formally unoccupied block of downtown. They will receive free rent for six months, as well as marketing advice from the city’s economic development department. While none of these businesses are food markets, the concept is intriguing for a potential healthy corner store program. Set up as business incubators, these entrepreneurs receive the “buzz and density” they need for just starting out, while the city receives a revitalized neighborhood with more people on the streets, potentially reducing crime and increasing economic activity (and jobs). Add a healthy corner store into the mix, and you have a self-sufficient vibrant community. For more info, see popuphood.com and Oakland Retail Pops, San Francisco Business Times, Oct. 21, 2011