Making Retail Work in TODs

Built around a BART station in 1999, Oakland, California's Fruitvale Village has had a tough time keeping its retail space alive (as have many TODs). The property managers have learned some lessons over the years about how to overcome the challenges.

1 minute read

March 23, 2011, 12:00 PM PDT

By Tim Halbur


One of the central arguments in favor of retail space in transit-oriented development is that regular traffic from commuters guarantees business. But Jeff Pace, chief operating officer of the Unity Council (who manage the site's retail), says that it takes a lot more than just proximity to make the retail work.

In this article from the New Urban Network, Pace gives five hard-earned tips for successful retail in TOD. Here's one:

"Mix retail and services: "We evolved from a pure retail strategy on the ground floor to one with a mix of traditional retail and community and professional services. For example, we have a State Farm insurance office, and our children's counseling clinic and high school both have ground-floor facilities as well as second-floor facilities. Altogether, almost 25 percent of the ground-floor retail is being used for non-traditional uses and an expansion of the community services presence on the second floor.""

Wednesday, March 23, 2011 in New Urban Network

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