Retail

New DC Zoning Code Goes Back to the Future

David Alpert provides a thorough analysis of the first third of Washington D.C.'s proposed new zoning code, and finds a return to kind of development patterns that formed the neighborhoods residents treasure today.

8 February 2012 - 2:00pm

Greater Greater Washington

Urban Revitalization: Baby Steps or the Magic Bullet?

Writer Tara Sturm explores the merits of incremental urbanism on revitalization efforts with the help of L.A. architect Alan Pullman, highlighting grassroots, community-driven economic development.

3 February 2012 - 6:00am

Buildipedia.com

Rules for Planning Successful Retail Developments

Hazel Borys discusses how several key form-based guidelines for retail can encourage success in the most risky of all development types.

24 December 2011 - 7:00am

PlaceShakers

14 Unusual "Pop-Up Shops"

The temporary shop, formerly the type of thing one would only see at the holidays - think fireworks, or Christmas trees - is now hot.

20 December 2011 - 9:00am

Top Pop-Up Shops

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The Apple Store: The City's "Seal of Approval"?

Apple stores are great revenue generators in cities, writes Brian Caulfield, but not just as a one-off. Customers tend to come back for more products and repairs, and the stores themeslves encourage plenty of cross-shopping nearby.

9 December 2011 - 2:00pm

Forbes

Big Retailers See Benefits of Transit

At a recent conference, spokespeople for Burlington Coat Factory and other big retailers explained that they are having great success at locations on subway stops and major bus lines.

8 December 2011 - 11:00am

Globe St.

Dept. Store Blocks Use of Easement to Stifle Competition

A Sears Shopping Center in Lincoln Park, Michigan has found a novel way to kill their competitor - close the easement the developer is using to access the property.

18 October 2011 - 9:00am

The News-Herald

Borders' Bankruptcy Means Opportunity for Independent Bookstores--But Where?

With hundreds of former Borders locations vacated comes the question of what to do with the spaces. They are generally just too large and expensive for other booksellers, writes Susan Stellin, though at least one landlord has made it work.

29 September 2011 - 6:00am

New York Times

Toronto Debates Need for Waterfront Mega-Mall

Some say that there is simply not enough retail in existence now; versus U.S. cities, at least, Toronto has fewer malls in both numbers and square footage. Dana Flavelle explores why that might not necessarily mean it's underserved.

21 September 2011 - 10:00am

Toronto Star

Why You See So Many Walgreens, Rite-Aids and Duane Reades

Net lease investors see drugstores as solid, no-nonsense investments, and with an unstable market that's music to an investor's ears.

4 September 2011 - 7:00am

Retail Traffic Magazine

Parking Location Makes All the Difference

The location of parked cars can either destroy walkability or enhance it, writes urbanist Steve Mouzon.

5 August 2011 - 8:00am

The Original Green Blog

Josh Stephens

Borders’ Demise Could Open New Chapter In Urban Retail

Wed, 07/20/2011 - 08:39

To its minimal credit, Borders Books & Music always had a a few shelves where the works of Jacobs, Mumford, Kunstler, Whyte, Florida, and others resided.

But, judging by the financial and aesthetic bankruptcies of, respectively, Borders and many American cities, it seems that copies of Life and Death (or anything else) weren't exactly flying out the door. If the public's understanding of urban economies even began to rival its fascination for gossip, self-help, and vampires, Borders never would have arisen in the first place.

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Main Street Revitalization Efforts Turn a Corner

Having lured its first major retailer on Main Street, revitalization efforts in Columbia, South Carolina's urban corridor seem to be finally paying off.

26 May 2011 - 12:00pm

The State

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1 comment

Lisa Feldstein

Food Trends

Fri, 05/20/2011 - 14:59

A comment I hear frequently from planners is that the focus on food and planning is “trendy”. I must admit that this puzzles me quite a bit. Professional planners in rural areas have concentrated on planning for agriculture – food planning – for decades. Before we had professional planners, human populations planned their communities around food, whether they were planning how best to follow herds for hunting, structuring early agricultural societies, or developing the first cities where food proximity and trade were central considerations.

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Hong Kong's Unique and Vibrant Retail

Retail shopping in Hong Kong is a diverse experience of density, hidden storefronts and extreme visual stimulation, as this tour of the city's shopping areas shows.

16 May 2011 - 7:00am

Metropolis

Data Shows Internet Not Ruining Bricks-and-Mortar Retail

Counter-intuitively, Natl. Real Estate Investor says that sales in physical stores is supported by increases in broadband, and therefore the internet seems to enhance retail sales in shops.

3 May 2011 - 12:00pm

National Real Estate Investor

Building a Temporary Retail Center on Vacant Land

A new project is opening in San Francisco that utilizes a vacant piece of land for a temporary retail installation using shipping containers.

24 April 2011 - 7:00am

The Architect's Newspaper

WalMart and Target: Your New Neighbors

Who ever heard of "small-box stores"? Retail experts say the Walmarts and Targets of the world should have great success with smaller stores in urban settings.

31 March 2011 - 8:00am

Retail Traffic Magazine

Making Retail Work in TODs

Built around a BART station in 1999, Oakland, California's Fruitvale Village has had a tough time keeping its retail space alive (as have many TODs). The property managers have learned some lessons over the years about how to overcome the challenges.

23 March 2011 - 12:00pm

New Urban Network