Local Business & Economy
Small businesses are the part of the city residents touch every day. When storefronts sit empty for years, it isn't just an economic problem — it changes how a street feels, which changes who walks it, which changes whether the next business survives.
Where I stand
I've started things from nothing, so I know how much of a small business's energy gets burned on process instead of product. I want Santa Monica to be a place where opening something is fast and clear, and where empty space becomes an opportunity instead of a liability.
What I'd focus on
- Reduce the time and cost of getting a small business permitted and open
- Active uses for long-vacant storefronts instead of indefinite dark windows
- Support for street vendors, markets, and low-overhead entry points
- Treat Downtown foot traffic as a safety and programming problem, not only a retail one
// geography
Where this shows up
// ideas
Related ideas and proposals
Vertical Gardens in Vacant Storefronts
Turn dark windows into living, productive space while the block recovers.
ConceptRecurring Open Street Markets
Low-cost programming that gives residents a reason to show up every week.
ConceptUnderused Space Activation
An inventory of what's empty, and a fast path to putting something in it.
// resident input
Your take on Local Business
You live it day to day. Tell me what this issue looks like where you are — what's broken, what's working, and what you'd change.