That's what Richard Reep proposes in this article looking at reuse options for vacant retail properties from strip malls to megamalls.
Reep believes that consumerism isn't about to come back in the way it once was, and manufacturing is better for the economy anyway:
"Production, much more than consumption, creates jobs, and the raw open space of old retail sites can be easily converted into industrial uses. Geography is in their favor. Malls were typically built if at least 3,000 surrounding households could be found to support them; today these households could provide labor, instead of cash, to the right investor looking to onshore a product."
"Florida," writes Reep, "with its abundance of unused retail space, has an opportunity to become a leader if it can attract the right kind of investor."
FULL STORY: Pimp My Stripmall, Please!
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EMC Planning Group Inc.
Jefferson Parish
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard GSD Executive Education
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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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.
