The complete upheaval of the commercial real estate market seemingly happened overnight, but the pandemic followed years of structural changes, so the recovery could take much longer.
Steve Brown interviews Herb Weitzman, founder of Dallas-based commercial real estate brokerage the Weitzman Group, for an article about the road to recovery for the brick and mortar retail market following the coronavirus pandemic.
One of the key issues as play, is how quickly the pandemic shut down businesses and completely overhauled operations. This downturn is unprecedented, says Weitzman in the article.
The structural changes already underway, suddenly exacerbated by the pandemic, won't be easy to recover from, especially for small businesses, says Weitzman. "When we go back to work it won’t happen quickly — the pandemic won’t stop in a day," he said in the article. "People are going to be afraid and take it very very cautiously."
Weitzman also tells Brown that the Weitzman Group "is working with the more than 3,400 tenants in his company’s shopping centers to keep them in business." The big box stores and grocers that recently invested in digital ordering and store pick-up programs are seeing those investments pay off, according to Weitzman.
FULL STORY: Herb Weitzman warns that a shopping center rebound won’t happen overnight
Traditional Retail is Hanging by a Thread. What Now for Cities?
After Kaid Benfield paints a rather grim retail outlook — where even retail bastions like San Diego are going dark — he suggests a series of actions for city leaders and planners.
'Record-Shattering' Decline in Housing Inventory
New data reveals how far the U.S. housing market has stayed from anything resembling normal.
How 2020 Changed the Rental Market
A new report by RentCafé reveals the extent of the pandemic's influence on the rental market—so far.
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?
Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions
An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.
What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?
The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.
Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts
Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.
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.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie