"Gazelles" Are Leading the Pack

Economist David Birch coined the term "gazelle" to refer to small businesses that double their size every four years. Charlie Gandy says these gazelles are incredibly useful when it comes to placemaking.

1 minute read

June 29, 2012, 12:00 PM PDT

By Tim Halbur


Gandy posits that gazelles "...bring a healthy dose of creative talent and out-of-the-box thinking to their entrepreneurial mix," and "...see themselves as progressive artisans and thought leaders and feel empowered to spread their enthusiasm with fellow local business owners".

Gandy writes from Long Beach, California, where a couple of gazelles have pushed the city to allow them the freedom to create "parklets" in front of their restaurants. The parklets "...have brought extraordinary results to both their businesses and very positive media tention to Long Beach as a progressive city ready to try out new ideas."

Thursday, June 28, 2012 in Project For Public Spaces

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

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