Peabody is looking at reviving its downtown. The mayor’s committee “agreed on what, over the years, has become almost a chant in response to the question of what will bring people downtown — special attractions, theater, the arts, ethnic restaurants and festivals, a farmers market, stores that offer specialties, and services that one may not find, say, in the malls up Route 114…”
It seems to me that a more vibrant downtown life could also lead to better local jobs. Specialty shops and local farmer’s markets promote small businesses that keep money local and
often offer better-paying jobs with better growth potential than the megastore-in-a-box at the mall. The “New Luxury” economy might just mean a fairer economy if consumption continues to trend towards specialty goods and services that can’t be outsourced or derive their
value from not being mass-produced.
