Live music, skating rinks, and artificial beaches are now part of developments that want to go beyond just simple shopping and dining.
Katherine Shaver reports that developers are focusing on "experience" as a draw for residents and visitors. "It’s the latest buzzword among developers seeking to transform automobile-centric inner suburbs into walkable urban hubs."
Developers say they also want to encourage environments that help people interact offline, where they can connect while also supporting brick-and-mortar retail establishments, says Shaver:
It’s why you’re seeing so many more restaurants, food halls, cooking demonstrations, outdoor yoga classes, smaller concert venues, bars and lounges, farmers markets, tot lots, fire pits, splashable fountains, restaurant-like bowling alleys, and cocktail-serving movie theaters — anything that helps people interact in a way they can’t online.
These experiences, however, are not completely disconnected from the digital world. "The most successful offerings, developers say, are ready-made for Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat," adds Shaver.
Shaver notes that not all efforts have proven successful. Some developments have competed with other projects, struggled with commercial vacancies, and faced the effects of growths in online shopping.
FULL STORY: Why developers are offering ‘experiences’ to attract suburbanites
Phoenix Mall Sold for Mixed-Use Redevelopment
The former Paradise Valley Mall will undergo a conversion to a mixed-use community with homes, offices, and stores.
The End of the Mall? Navigating the Shifting Retail Landscape
More online shopping means fewer consumers are spending money at brick-and-mortar stores, with suburban malls hit especially hard. But municipalities are looking for creative strategies to navigate a post-mall world.
The Future of the Retail Landscape
Stores are an integral part of the cityscape. So how will online shopping change what we see in the coming years?
In Most U.S. Cities, Archaic Laws Limit Roommate Living
Critics argue laws preventing unrelated adults from living in the same home fail to understand the modern American household.
Ten Signs of a Resurgent Downtown
In GeekWire, Chuck Wolfe continues his exploration of a holistic and practical approach to post-pandemic urban center recovery, anchored in local context and community-driven initiatives that promote livability, safety, and sustainability.
Off-Peak is the New On-Peak
Public transit systems in major U.S. cities are starting to focus on non-rush hour travelers as pre-pandemic commuting patterns shift and transportation needs change.
Tacoma Coalition Calls for ‘Tenants’ Bill of Rights’
The group wants to put more power in the hands of tenants, but the city has its own, competing proposal for addressing the housing crisis.
New Power Transmission Line Approved in the Southwest
The proposed transmission line will transfer wind-produced power from New Mexico to cities in Arizona and California.
The Limitations of ‘Reconnecting Communities’
The Biden administration has pledged to correct the damage imposed on communities by highways and infrastructure, but many projects are only committing to minor improvements, not transformative changes.
Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission
Code Studio
TAG Associates, Inc.
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Montrose County
Knox County
Wichita-Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Department
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
