Retail

How Cities Can Help Retail Catch Up with Residential
Scott Beyer details the old real estate wisdom of "retail follows rooftops," especially as evidenced by cities like Cleveland in recent years.

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 Will Wal-Mart’s new urban stores be as successful as its outdated model?

Massive Wave of Retail Store Closings Predicted
Sears, Macy's, and J.C. Penney are among the national retailers who've announced substantial store closings recently. Retail industry experts believe the closures are just the beginning of an approaching "tsunami" of shrinking and shuttering stores.
Can Parking Apps Help Save the Mall?
Across the United States, brick-and-mortar stores are engaged in an existential war with online retailers. The newest weapons in the battle for customers are technologies that make the search for a parking spot a cinch.
10 Models for Revamping Your Outdated Retail Center
With retail tastes changing faster than a window display at the Gap, communities across the world are developing creative solutions to refresh their vacant and underutilized retail centers. Ten projects show what's possible.
San Francisco Fights to Keep Chains Out as It Invites the Wealthy In
The battle over whether to allow a proposed Jack Spade store to open in San Francisco's Mission District points to the incongruities of a city desperate to maintain its retail diversity while it loses its residential diversity.
Paris Is What People Want; How Can We Make More of It?
Hazel Borys concludes her whirlwind European travelog. This week: a look at the DNA of Paris, and how to replicate it elsewhere.
Outlet Malls Buck Retail Trends
While traditional enclosed malls, big box stores, and strip malls are struggling in an uncertain retail marketplace, sales at America's outlet malls are growing at a healthy pace. One mall near New York City is showing the pains of popularity.
In America's Cities, the Better-Off Trade Retail for Restaurants
The replacement of retail establishments with restaurants in America’s urban centers has a demographic slant.
Don't Close Shop Just Yet, Gen Y Still Likes Shopping in Stores
The rise of online shopping has been seen by some as presaging the demise of the physical store. However, a new report based on national survey results shows that Generation Y isn't ready to give up shopping on foot.
The Next Step in Downtown Pittsburgh's Resurgence: Build More Parking?
With an approaching mayoral transition, Mark Belko looks at what Pittsburgh's next leader will need to focus on to keep downtown's rejuvenation rolling. Should building more parking be at the top of the list?
Bike-Oriented Development Sprouts in Portland
With the traditional metrics of retail economics and geography being undermined by the Internet, businesses are searching for new ways to reach potential customers. Astute business owners in Portland are recognizing the value in good bike exposure.

Should We Let Main Streets Disappear?
Kaid Benfield pens a provocative column in which he suggests that the traditional American Main Street is a thing of the past, and may no longer fit our modern retail economy. Are traditional main streets still worth preserving and emulating?
Can a Parking Garage Spark Detroit's Retail Comeback?
John Gallagher writes about the optimism surrounding a project proposed by Quicken Loans founder and developer Dan Gilbert, which could bring 33,000-square feet of retail space, and 1,300 parking spaces, to downtown Detroit.
What Does Amazon's New Strategy Mean for Main Street?
Farhad Manjoo probes the internet retail giant's shifting strategy on the geographic distribution of its facilities, and wonders what the implications are for local retail once Amazon can offer same-day delivery.
Cities Frown Upon Air Conditioned Sidewalks
As the Summer months heat up, Sarah Laskow reports on cities' efforts to keep retailers' doors closed.
With Malls and Mom-and-Pops Struggling, What is the Future of Retail?
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.
New DC Zoning Code Goes Back to the Future
David Alpert provides a thorough analysis of the first third of Washington D.C.'s proposed new zoning code, and finds a return to kind of development patterns that formed the neighborhoods residents treasure today.
Urban Revitalization: Baby Steps or the Magic Bullet?
Writer Tara Sturm explores the merits of incremental urbanism on revitalization efforts with the help of L.A. architect Alan Pullman, highlighting grassroots, community-driven economic development.
Rules for Planning Successful Retail Developments
Hazel Borys discusses how several key form-based guidelines for retail can encourage success in the most risky of all development types.
Pagination
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City of Clovis
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Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service