Malls in metropolitan Atlanta are thinking outside the (big) box to reposition in the age of the retail apocalypse.
Alpharetta, Georgia has a bold plan for remaking one of its malls for the future in an era of change for large retail centers.
"Council members approved rezoning 83 acres and allowing a 24,000-square-foot freestanding development with apartments and retail on the site of what used to be the Sears," reports Ben Brasch.
The need to revamp the mall follows changing consumer tastes having an effect in the Atlanta metropolitan area described by a source in the article as a "plague."
Brasch provides more details about the mixed-use scope of the new redevelopment project.
The housing at North Point will have 175 one-bedroom apartments between 700 and 900 square feet starting at $1,400 a month and 125 two-bedroom units ranging from 1,050 to 1,250 square feet for a monthly cost of $1,900.
Developers are also changing the inside of the mall by expanding the playground from the current play area just under 2,000 square feet to 7,000 square feet with separate, age-appropriate play spaces.
There will be outdoor green space open to the public and an eye-popping amount of amenities.
According to Brasch, the nearby Phipps Plaza is both a competitor and a model for the North Point Mall improvements. Legoland and a Nobu hotel and restaurant have headlined the additions at Phipps Plaza. Apple and Pottery Barn also moved to Phipps Plaza from North Point.
FULL STORY: Alpharetta OKs huge mixed-use North Point project set to rival Avalon
The Mall Is Dead — Long Live the Mall
The American shopping mall may be closer to its original vision than ever.
Can Mall Redevelopment 'Urbanize the Suburbs'?
Local leaders in Virginia are banking on mall redevelopment projects to revive their tax bases and create more mixed-use neighborhoods.
Mall Redevelopment in Silicon Valley
Dead malls across the Bay Area are being transformed into R&D centers, housing, and transportation hubs.
Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?
Paris Voters Approve More Car-Free Streets
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo says the city will develop a plan to close 500 streets to car traffic and add new bike and pedestrian infrastructure after a referendum on the proposal passed with 66 percent of the vote.
Making Mobility More Inclusive
A new study highlights the challenges people with disabilities continue to face in navigating urban spaces.
Texas Bills Could Push More People Into Homelessness
A proposal to speed up the eviction process and a bill that would accelerate enforcement of an existing camping ban could make the state’s homelessness crisis worse, advocates say.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Ada County Highway District
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service