One of my former-favorite magazines, The Economist, has a semi-regular e-publication for Washington DC and other cities. These e-mails are usually interesting, making me aware of some event or news about which I was clueless. So check out the city guides and sign up for sure.

In the current issue, there is a bit about DC’s street vending situation that I thought was blog-worthy (what isn’t?):

Man cannot live on pretzels alone

A hot dog can only go so far. Influenced by a recent survey that found locals dissatisfied with Washington’s street-food vendors, the District is working to improve its on-the-go fare. The city’s Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs Officials asked the opinions of 480 people who live or work in the District: 82% said they would buy from street vendors if the carts offered the occasional gyro, burger or burrito along with the usual hot dog and pretzel. DC’s limited vendor menu is largely due to an eight-year moratorium on new vending licences, issued when the District was overrun with over 3,000 street vendors (who often traded punches for prime spots). Since then the number of vendors has dropped to just 650.

Hankering for a wider range of food and other goods, the city is now launching a campaign to support street vendors. In November the District lifted the moratorium on vending licences. Officials will also map vending sites across the city and, for a fee, provide licences for specific locations (to avoid turf wars).