The Shenzhen marketplace in 华侨城 (foreign Chinese city) is located in the middle of a well planned industrial neighborhood built in the 1980s. But for the new developments nearby, going to the market in a dangerous daily task. I tailed an elderly leaving the marketplace (a majority of morning shoppers are elderly) for about 15 minutes before she got to the gates of her luxury highrise.
Traditionally, the Chinese marketplace has been the soul of the neighborhood; it was where people come together to purchase fresh produce and meats, and share a bit of each others lives. They were usually complimented by small eateries and other shops that sell domestic wares. However, current city living demands business models of a different scale: markets become supermarkets and mom and pop stores give away to larger warehouse stores. While most are still pedestrian friendly, these points of transaction are no longer about daily living but about efficiency and cost. (Unfortunately, new developments like this one in Shenzhen often do not have adequate access to domestic goods and services, and should be amended)
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