Innovative Big Box Reuse

An expert documents how communities are reusing 'reclaimed abandoned, architecturally uninspiring megastores' in innovative ways.

1 minute read

May 13, 2005, 8:00 AM PDT

By Abhijeet Chavan @http://twitter.com/legalaidtech


"Next week, Julia Christensen will begin a cross-country drive to places no other tourist would care to notice. In her 1999 Subaru Forester, Ms. Christensen, a 28-year-old artist, will trawl the American landscape in search of big-box superstores that are now used as churches, schools, racetracks and, in one case, a museum dedicated to Spam, the canned meat.

Ms. Christensen, who has made the field of big-box reuse her academic and artistic specialty, has already logged some 20,000 miles during two previous trips over the past two years in pursuit of former Wal-Marts, Winn-Dixies and Kmarts. Along the way, she has become an expert in the ingenious and innovative ways that communities have reclaimed abandoned, architecturally uninspiring megastores."

Thanks to J. Donan

Thursday, May 12, 2005 in The New York Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 18, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of Shirley Chisholm Village four-story housing development with person biking in front.

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning

SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

June 8, 2025 - Fast Company

Woman and young girl looking at subway map, woman pointing.

Can We Please Give Communities the Design They Deserve?

Often an afterthought, graphic design impacts everything from how we navigate a city to how we feel about it. One designer argues: the people deserve better.

June 9, 2025 - John Pobojewski

Map of EV charging ports in rural U.S. communities.

The EV “Charging Divide” Plaguing Rural America

With “the deck stacked” against rural areas, will the great electric American road trip ever be a reality?

June 20 - The Daily Yonder

Google street view of Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn with pedestrians crossing a crosswalk and cyclist in the bike lane.

Judge Halts Brooklyn Bike Lane Removal

Lawyers must prove the city was not acting “arbitrarily, capriciously, and illegally” in ordering the hasty removal.

June 20 - StreetsBlog NYC

Close-up of cracked and damaged two-lane roadway with double yellow stripes on a bright sunny day.

Engineers Gave America's Roads an Almost Failing Grade — Why Aren't We Fixing Them?

With over a trillion dollars spent on roads that are still falling apart, advocates propose a new “fix it first” framework.

June 19 - Transportation for America