We love local businesses, right? You have to. That old couple started their business decades ago and saw you grow up. They even remember your name! Their humble store is recognized in the area, essentially shaping generational identity and local culture. Despite having gone through many tough times, they still occasionally donate to local organizations and are seemingly ever-present due to their recognition. People, the locals, love them.
They and many nearby local businesses have similar stories. Indeed, the long and short of it is that local businesses play an important role in their communities. Their impacts can have deep roots and, with this, are often sought after for their wisdom, opinions, and ideas on shaping the future of the local community. They not just have a seat at the table, at least in Providence, they have the whole bench.
Providence is a very dense, diverse, small town in the smallest State. For better or for worse, everyone knows each other, and as struggles come and go, the community goes with it. This means that in these struggles, we often look toward the seemingly smartest and most prominent people in the room to lead us, i.e., as is most often the case, local business owners. On the outside, this seems like a wise move. Wouldn’t you want your advocates to be those who have been with the community for a long time, the same people that remember your name when you enter their doors? The question appears to answer itself, or does it?
What I’ve observed is this: local business leaders and their large cooperative organizations (businesses, advocates, and politicians team up together; see one of many examples here) have become the stars of the show, essentially gaining a stranglehold on how our future is looked at. Their advice resonates with some, especially elected leaders who, whether naively or consciously, put them on a pedestal to garner support and funding because, after all, local business leaders have tremendous power in this small community. Anything negative said about a local business around here would be an instant way to end your political career.
So, what’s going on? In summary, local businesses are treated with an immense amount of respect and given a large amount of power. Recent years have presented us with issues around climate change, housing, wages, homelessness, and much more. These issues have been studied, and for the most part, those privy to this knowledge understand that change is inevitable. This comes from not just a policy perspective about how our beloved community operates, but also the physical changes that accompany it. Moving forward requires change.
Let’s not get it twisted, though. The identity Providence shares has evolved through the generations. Small roads, horse and buggy, petite houses, and the like are no longer being considered, and instead, larger roads and vehicles, multi-story apartments, and public transit are now instead demanded. Whether or not this has been a good thing for the overall population, these changes through the decades up until the present time as well as proposed future ones have frequently been solely through the eyes of local business leaders.
While I don’t have a business, I consider myself a Providence individual. As a resident, my observations and education have shaped the way I view how it ought to be. Simply put, I am of the opinion that we should consider the ideas and advice of experts first and foremost, and incorporate the experience of the local community and its business leaders equally to help shape it. The lopsidedness we have now is too skewed and has resulted in a lot of issues for residents and experts who want to move Providence to a better state (not the State, the state!).
These issues are noticeable no matter your background. For example, what spurred this writing was recent talks about potentially abandoning the all-popular Al Fresco on Federal Hill where the street no longer welcomes cars and dining is held on the street, all because some businesses claim to be having a hard time. This generally goes against the community’s wants of having car-free streets and outdoor dining, and frankly, with the recent behavior of local businesses, which I’ll get to later, I’m not sure whether to trust their claims, especially since we know these events generally help businesses. In my view, the businesses in this scenario should shoulder the responsibility and not stop progress because they claim to have problems and are unable to adapt.
Another unrecognized issue that has occurred is block parties, more specifically, why they even happen. Providence has many of them over the summer, and like Al Fresco, it’s one of the few ways we get to have car-free streets and share some sense of community. However, many but not all of these block parties happen specifically out of nearby business requests and approval for specific days and times. You’ll find that block parties are almost exclusively dedicated to local businesses to set up shop in the road—they are, as I said before, the stars of the show. Community activities and real engagement are rare. It looks no more than a way for people to spend money. Why can’t we have block parties based solely because the residents want it or a way to foster community and families?
Speaking of car-free streets, as another way to combat climate change, and improve accessibility as well as community, there’s been a push over the last decade to incorporate bicycle lanes, more public transit, and safe pedestrian infrastructure. Ignorantly wanting to block this because of unverified claims it will hurt their bottom line, businesses have staunchly pushed against this, making progress incredibly slow despite the overwhelming evidence it helps them. However, politicians have taken the side of these businesses, making residents frustrated and progress slow. Again I ask, what of the community that desperately wants this, and what about the progress toward citywide goals?
Next, housing crisis initiatives, which as no surprise, have been blocked by businesses. In my opinion, this continues to happen due to fears of having less wealthy individuals in the area, which they feel will hurt profits as well as a form of NIMBYism. This affordable housing is so important as wages have stagnated and everything else has gone up throughout the years. Along with wants of affordable housing, pushes for these increased wages have come and gone with the usual business input, but at least some employees were able to finally unionize at a well-known bakery.
The whole point of this article is to put forward the notion that local businesses have too much power in this small city which often hinders growth due to focusing on their bottom lines. I would suggest that legislators reconsider halting progress because a few businesses wave their hands. Instead, business owners should accept the fact that things change, and while they should be accounted for to a certain degree, they shouldn’t expect continuous accommodation for their inadaptability or perceived issues, especially to the detriment of the community. And let’s face it, the future is in our young Providence residents, many of whom may become business owners, who want affordable housing, safe and accessible streets, fair wages, and a greener future. Providence cannot continue to solely propping up local businesses at the expense of everything else.