For over 35 years, the International Public Markets Conference has brought together leading public market leaders and advocates including a broad mix of government leaders, market managers, downtown planners, grassroots organizers, local food advocates, transportation experts, health care professionals, and educators from around the world to explore the cutting edge of market practice.
At this year’s three-day event on June 8-10, 2023, co-hosts Project for Public Spaces, the City of Toronto, St. Lawrence Market, and Market City TO collaborated to help unlock the potential of market systems as equitable sources of well-being and opportunity in one of the world’s great Market Cities—Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
In 2019, lessons from the International Public Markets Conference inspired the launch of the Market Cities Program at Project for Public Spaces. The Program aims to strengthen the regional systems behind the market stalls by connecting and supporting a diverse set of stakeholders through research, specialized training, and a network of peers
During the opening plenary, Project for Public Spaces announced the launch of the Market Cities Network, the first international forum for markets of all kinds and the people committed to their success.