Pop-Up Shops are Reviving Dormant Downtowns

As the combination of e-commerce, pandemic disruptions, and rising real estate costs lead to higher vacancy rates for retail spaces, cities and landlords are looking to pop-up shops as one way to activate downtown commercial spaces and bring in some much-needed revenue.

According to an article by Molly Bolan in Route Fifty, “Under the pop-up model, small businesses work with property owners to temporarily open a brick-and-mortar location, often for a few days or weeks, and rarely more than a few months. Pop-up shops can provide benefits to both small businesses that lack storefronts and permits and commercial districts that want to bring visitors back.

In San Francisco, SF New Deal, a business development nonprofit, is partnering with the city’s Office of Workforce and Economic Development to help small businesses, artists and community organizations set up shop in empty retail spaces downtown.” Program recipients so far include “several artists, a few bakeries, clothing stores, an art nonprofit, a radio station and a plant store that doubles as a performance venue.” In Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership’s Project Pop-Up is funding six businesses for six to 12 months.