The trend of store closures sweeping the nation has not passed up New York City. The Guardian takes an in-depth look at the market forces at work on the famous commercial corridors of New York City.
Edward Helmore writes:
Walk down almost any major New York street – say Fifth Avenue near Trump Tower, or Madison Avenue from midtown to the Upper East Side. Perhaps venture down Canal Street, or into the West Village around Bleecker, and some of the most expensive retail areas in the world are blitzed with vacant storefronts.
Helmore is describing the "retail apocalypse"—except instead of suburban malls, these closures are visiting some of the most urban commercial corridors in the world. And in New York, compared to other places in the United States, the blame is less likely to be laid at the feet of online retailers like Amazon.
Jeremiah Moss, author of the website and book Vanishing New York, is cited in the article saying high rents are the problem. Helmore explains more: "Part of the problem is the changing make-up of New York landlords. Many are no longer mom-and-pop operations, but institutional investors and hedge funds that are unwilling to drop rents to match retail conditions."
The article includes more detail on the business side of retail operations and commercial land ownership in New York City, along with descriptions of the effect of the closures on the ground in New York's neighborhoods.
FULL STORY: New York's vanishing shops and storefronts: 'It's not Amazon, it's rent'
Whole Foods and Amazon: Lessons from Walmart
The question of whether Amazon's ownership of Whole Foods will make opportunities, or take them away, is still up for debate.
The Suburbs Will Lose the Most in an Era of Shrinking Retail
As brick and mortar retailers shed jobs and stores, suburbs will lose the most in terms of tax revenues and amenities.
NYC Open Streets Organizers Call for City Support
The number of open streets projects has dropped year after year as volunteer groups struggle to fund and staff them.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?
The Five Most-Changed American Cities
A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.
San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan
The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.
Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts
Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.
Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement
An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.
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.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions