Online Shopping

As e-commerce boomed and people sought outdoor shopping and dining options, the pandemic accelerated the decline of massive, merchandise-oriented retail spaces and indoor malls.

January 12, 2022 - Bisnow

The former Paradise Valley Mall will undergo a conversion to a mixed-use community with homes, offices, and stores.

April 7, 2021 - CNBC

The theoretical planning of smart cities could help make city economies stronger as purchasing becomes more straightforward.

December 20, 2020 - Devin Partida

It's not only mom and pop shops that suffer from over-reliance on online shopping: streets and the environment also suffer the consequences.

December 9, 2020 - Streetsblog USA

More online shopping means fewer consumers are spending money at brick-and-mortar stores, with suburban malls hit especially hard. But municipalities are looking for creative strategies to navigate a post-mall world.

December 27, 2019 - Land Lines

Examining congestion data from 94 Chinese cities before and after Alibaba's Singles' Day, this study found evidence for a modest drop in traffic following the Cyber Monday-like event.

November 3, 2019 - IDEAS

How and where are people shopping for groceries online?

March 20, 2019 - The Houston Chronicle

Live music, skating rinks, and artificial beaches are now part of developments that want to go beyond just simple shopping and dining.

January 9, 2019 - The Washington Post

Stores are an integral part of the cityscape. So how will online shopping change what we see in the coming years?

December 13, 2018 - The Boston Globe

In places like San Jose, "new approaches to the storefront" are paying dividends for physical retailers willing to experiment.

March 1, 2018 - SPUR

The rise of online retail has come with a flurry of delivery trucks that don't always have good places to stop. Researchers from Amazon's hometown are on the case.

January 29, 2018 - Landscape Architecture Magazine

Ross Stores continues its expansion in the face of a much-foretold retail apocalypse. The shopping experience it provides may be one reason it can stand up to Amazon.

October 17, 2017 - The Business Journals

Sears, Macy's, and The Limited are among chain apparel stores closing locations all around the United States.

January 27, 2017 - The Chicago Tribune

Services like Amazon Prime and other quick delivery online retailers are creating more demand for short trip delivery, the result is streets jammed with vans. Bikes may offer an alternative.

December 2, 2016 - Quartz

Articles that claim online commerce have surpassed sales at brick and mortar stores are wrong, according to an article on City Observatory.

November 8, 2016 - City Observatory

Online shopping and gentrification is fueling a bona fide building boom of warehouse spaces in Chicago.

August 30, 2016 - Crain's Chicago Business

As consumers increasingly buy online, technology is changing the shape of our cities, reducing demand for retail space, increasing freight congestion, and leaving parking lots empty.

February 29, 2016 - Jennifer Evans-Cowley

Despite claims that urban truck traffic continues to rise, recent data shows no real increase in urban vehicle miles traveled. Online shopping may be helping keep people off the roads.

September 18, 2015 - City Observatory City Commentary

Despite threats like online retail, upscale sectors of the mall market are prospering. This is good news for what are, perhaps, the only walkable 'streets' in some parts of the country.

March 31, 2015 - CityLab

On his Per Square Mile blog, Tim de Chant has been kind enough to answer one of mankind's biggest existential questions: What’s more energy efficient, shopping online or in stores?

August 25, 2013 - Per Square Mile