Mobilizing Food Vending: Gourmet Food Trucks in the American City

Mobilizing Food Vending investigates the gourmet food truck movement in the United States and provides a clearer understanding of the social and economic factors that shape vendor autonomy and industry growth. The book features case studies in a variety of American cities and uses top-down and bottom-up urban theory to frame a discussion of food trucks’ rights, displacement, and resiliency. Using ethnographic and archival research collected from industry experts, the book examines vendors’ operational strategies, their regulatory challenges when navigating the city, and their economic, cultural, and political roles in shaping urban space. Mobilizing Food Vending argues that food truck vendors are critical actors that support local economies and contribute to the public realm while shaping regulatory policy from the bottom up. This book will appeal to urban scholars studying the contemporary neoliberal city, the public realm, and communication technology and mobility, as well as to urban planners seeking to understand how vendors shape city plans and policies.

Ginette Wessel is an Associate Professor of Architecture at Roger Williams University, where she teaches courses in urban design, urban planning, and environmental design research.