Going to a Safe Place: (Re)Qualifying Market Sites in the Context of a Global Pandemic

This chapter explores the interplay between space production, place qualification, and market-making. It argues that market-making is closely tied to space creation, with competing socio-technical arrangements shaping and economizing space. Understanding market site qualification is crucial for grasping the relationship between marketplaces and spaces, as it involves equipping agencies to co-produce site characteristics alongside goods therein. Further, market sites are influenced by non-economic factors alongside economic arrangements, serving as spaces for social interaction and inclusivity beyond their economic function. Examining the reciprocal relationship between market spaces and places, a case study on the changes made in the Irish pub during the Covid-19 pandemic is presented. The pandemic disrupted economic activities, leading to the reconfiguration of market sites to comply with public health measures. Irish pubs serve as an illustrative example, being significant market sites for the alcohol and hospitality industries as well as community pillars. However, during the pandemic, the social interactions and alcohol consumption at the heart of pub life posed serious public health risks. This created conflicting priorities, with commercial interests pushing for pub reopening while public health authorities called for closure. The chapter highlights the qualification process of market sites and how these dynamics impact the relationship between marketplaces and spaces, with the Covid-19 pandemic serving as a catalyst for change.