Should cities preserve old street markets even if they appear messy to tourists?

I advocate for preservation. The 'messiness' perceived by tourists is a subjective aesthetic judgment that is insufficient to override residents' livelihoods, community relationships, and living heritage values. Preservation does not mean freezing the site as is: the city should co-govern with vendors and residents, and through phased improvements to drainage, waste management, fire safety, food safety, accessibility, and pedestrian flow, enable the old street market to continue serving local life while presenting an authentic, rather than overly beautified, urban image to tourists.

Old street markets are not just architectural spaces, but living heritage that carries the livelihoods of vendors, everyday urban life, and intangible cultural heritage skills; the 'messiness' perceived by tourists often precisely reflects real urban life. The holistic approach of UNESCO's Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape, the inscription of Singapore's hawker culture on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2020, and the practice of 'upgrading and renovating rather than demolishing' old markets in many places all indicate that a city's image should be improved through management improvements in sanitation, fire safety, and circulation, rather than demolition at the expense of heritage and livelihoods.

Whether a city should retain old street markets should not be judged by the tidiness perceived by tourists. Old street markets simultaneously serve daily livelihoods, food supply, social interaction, and living heritage functions; using 'messiness' as a reason for demolition often means prioritizing tourist aesthetics and city marketing over residents' rights. Preservation does not mean ignoring hygiene and safety issues, but rather prioritizing local use and implementing limited governance, rather than clearing or displacing for the sake of tourist impressions.

Cities should still retain old street markets. The 'messiness' in tourists' eyes is a transient, external, and highly subjective aesthetic judgment, while old street markets carry the daily livelihoods of local residents, affordable food and community interaction spaces for low-income groups, and living heritage that cannot be regenerated once demolished. Singapore's hawker culture was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2020, proving that seemingly noisy street markets are precisely carriers of cultural value formally recognized internationally; the emergence of 'difficulty buying groceries' and gaps in community amenities after the demolition of wet markets in places like Wangjing, Beijing, shows that the cost of clearing street markets in the name of city image is borne mainly by local residents rather than tourists. Image and order issues can be fully resolved through micro-renovation, infrastructure upgrades, and refined governance—cases such as Yongqing Fang on Enning Road in Guangzhou and Sifang Road in Qingdao prove that preservation and revitalization can be achieved simultaneously and create employment. Placing tourists' momentary perceptions above heritage and livelihoods is putting the cart before the horse; demolition is irreversible, while 'messiness' can be governed.

Although the old street market may appear chaotic to tourists, preserving it holds irreplaceable value for the city's cultural heritage transmission, the sustenance of residents' livelihoods, and the shaping of a diverse urban image. The following analyzes from multiple perspectives why the old street market should be preserved:

I support retaining the old street market, but its operation should be improved through measures such as safety, sanitation, fire prevention, traffic, and stall management, rather than clearing it simply because tourists find it disorderly. The old street market simultaneously carries local memory, low-barrier livelihoods, and everyday public life. Since the research tools in this round did not provide verifiable structured search results, the conclusion remains at low confidence.

Yes, retain the old street market, but treat the "messiness" as a public space issue requiring joint governance, rather than clearing away life and livelihoods based on tourist aesthetics. Old street markets carry sociocultural practices, economic activities, and living heritage; cities should improve order through zoning, sanitation facilities, fire safety and access regulations, stall organization, and participatory management, while ensuring continued use rights for vendors and the community.[web:25][web:16][web:36]

Old street markets are not only carriers of a city's historical memory but also the core of local community livelihoods and cultural vitality. Although their appearance may seem disorderly, this 'disorder' often embodies authentic life atmosphere and cultural uniqueness, capable of attracting tourists seeking in-depth experiences and promoting local economic development. Through moderate modernization rather than demolition, the needs for hygiene, order, and cultural preservation can be balanced.

Even if tourists view old street markets as chaotic, cities should preserve them. Old street markets are points of overlap among living heritage, livelihoods of low-income groups, and everyday public space; their 'chaos' is often a visible manifestation of genuine mixed-use and street vitality, not mere disorder. Clearing them out on the grounds of tourist aesthetics tends to trigger tourism gentrification, displacing original residents and vendors, and hollowing out the cultural core that makes the place worth visiting.

Old street markets are living heritage and carriers of livelihoods: their apparent "messiness" is actually a manifestation of marketplace vitality, low-barrier livelihoods, and authentic urban fabric. Demolishing street markets based on tourist perceptions would simultaneously harm cultural inheritance, social inclusion, and the city's long-term attractiveness. Therefore, cities should preserve old street markets and replace clearance with refined governance.