Reimagining Retail: Seizing Opportunities on Main Street and in Ecommerce

Now in its twenty-fifth year, this fast-paced, three day online program is one of Harvard’s most popular and longest running executive education urban planning and real estate classes.

At no time in history has retailing—or, more precisely, the act of acquiring goods, services and experiences—been in more transformative times. For centuries, the retail experience has evolved to meet the needs of the public. And, from the time of the ancient marketplaces to the emergence of Medieval market towns, to High Streets, to Main Streets, shopping malls and modern- day mixed-use complexes all such commerce was the province of an analog world. In the short time frame of a decade this paradigm, grounded in a reality of touch, smell, temperature, varying light and perspective shared with others in a similar quest has been literally undermined, if not in some quarters attacked and replaced by new electronic realities.

But what will retail shopping look like in the post-Pandemic era, once COVID-19 lockdowns are over and people return to the wild for their shopping experiences? This course illustrates the best practices for retail centers responding to the emerging Post-COVID era and changing lifestyles.

This entertaining and instructive program is ideal for architects, city officials, institutional lenders, policy makers, real estate investment trusts, policy makers, residential and commercial real estate developers, retailers and urban planners. Enrollment is now open!

Instructors:
Terry Shook, FAIA, Shook Kelley, Charlotte, NC
Robert J. Gibbs, AICP, ASLA, Gibbs Planning Group, Birmingham, MI

CEUs: 6 AIA LUs, 6 AICP/CM, 6 LA/CES
AMDP Elective Units: 1