Public markets: Spaces for sociability under threat? The case of Leeds’ Kirkgate Market

Traditional retail markets can function as spaces of sociability and inclusion for diverse groups in the city, yet these benefits are threatened by the advancement of urban neoliberal policies. In this chapter, we focus on Leeds’ Kirkgate Market in the north of England, which after decades of local authority neglect is currently undergoing a process of transformation and redevelopment. An important historical and heritage asset to the city of Leeds, Kirkgate Market is one of the largest traditional markets in the UK and Europe, comprising both indoor and outdoor areas. Originating as a collection of open livestock, corn and street markets in the early 1800s, it was first constructed as a covered market in 1857, being subsequently adapted and extended (Fraser, 1980). In December 1975 a disastrous fire destroyed two thirds of the market, but left an extension built in 1904 unaffected. Subsequently, the market was classed as protected heritage, and two contiguous ‘hangar structure’ halls were constructed in 1976 and 1981 to replace the damaged sections.