Tom Stoelker pens a feature in The Architect's Newspaper examining the decades-long upheavals in retail and current efforts to shape retail in ways that will preserve urban character while growing the economy.
Stoelker frames the dilemma confronting retailers as a tug of war between the charming mom-and-pop stores that bring value to the urban environment and local community and large-scale developers who have the means to offer better prices and are now, "curating their retail experiences to appear more local." Stoelker also examines the efforts by various municipal governments to address, or ignore, this competition through zoning regulations.
According to Stoelker, "Today's urban customer wants small shops and a homespun product while demanding the convenience, variety, and price that only the chains can offer."
What impact do the overbuilt retail market and the siphoning of more and more revenue from place-based competitors by virtual shopping have on this battle? These are among the hidden forces that Stoelker fails to address.
FULL STORY: Feature> Right-Sizing Retail
Retail Space Shrinking Again in 2018
Because of closures at big box stores like Toys R US, 2018 will see total retail space down sharply even while the number of store closures is small compared to last year.
Brick and Mortar Continue to Struggle as Shoppers Scatter
Online options and oversaturation in some markets are leading to continued declines in physical storefronts around the country.
Is A Small, Urban Wal-Mart Too Little Too Late?
Recent reports have revealed weaknesses in the big box business model. Will Wal-Mart’s new urban stores be as successful as its outdated model?
Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.
Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?
HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.
EPA Terminates $116 Million in Grants for Reducing Emissions from Construction Materials
C-MORE grants were earmarked for industry trade groups and universities.
BART Closes $35 Million Deficit
Cost control and revenue generation measures prevented service cuts.
The New Parisian Hearse is a Bicycle
Sleek, silent, and sustainable, a green trip to the graveyard has hit the streets of the French capital.
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.
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Piedmont, CA
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland