commercial development
« Previous EntriesFuture transit oriented retail developments
Wednesday, September 17th, 2008When more people are taking mass transit, it creates new challenges and opportunities for offering urban retail conveniences.
Recently Richard Layman offered a good discussion of what might be ahead:
Picture the following scenario: Mr. or Mrs. suburban Anoka pulls into the parking structure adjacent to the train station along the Northstar Commuter Rail Corridor in Anoka. […]
Hope against the spread of generica
Thursday, January 17th, 2008Visiting a new city becomes far more meaningful when you can find unique places where local people live and interact — when you can find an actual community. Usually this requires finding locally owned and operated restaurants, cafes, shops, etc. that often anchor neighborhoods.
In so many cities, whether in North America or around the […]
Want to live above a car dealership?
Sunday, December 2nd, 2007At the Northwest corner of Kingsway and 12th Avenue in Vancouver there is a 10 storey condo tower going in above a Honda dealership. My first reaction was huh?! Followed by “who would want to live there?”
But the more I thought about it, the more this seems like the cutting edge of a trend.
In a […]
New lens on New York (Warhol Economy Reviewed)
Wednesday, November 14th, 2007Elizabeth Currid, The Warhol Economy: How Fashion, Art and Music Drive New York City (Princeton University Press, 2007). See also the earlier post, “Top Three Reasons to Read the Warhol Economy.”
Elizabeth Currid seeks to turn our assumptions about New York’s economy upside down. Most people assume that New York’s economic core and […]
Dubai - a microcosm of globalization?
Monday, October 29th, 2007What does globalization really mean? It’s a loaded term with many meanings. Perhaps one way to understand what the shrinking distances between people, economies, cities and countries really means is to look at life in one city that exists in its current form because of global trade and travel - Dubai.
Dubai is a […]
Toronto on the rise?
Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007 Toronto is changing fast. No longer is it just Canada’s financial and business hub, but it’s becoming a world centre as well, with many of the spin off benefits and challenges.
This is the argument or observation of Dr. Sherry Cooper, the Chief Economist at BMO Capital Markets and BMO Nesbitt Burns in […]
Ending an era and new beginnings
Thursday, October 18th, 2007The rapid revitalization of downtowns and urban cores has driven up demand for housing in many North American (and especially Canadian) cities, raising property values and pushing some uses out. New townhouse and condominium developments often require long-standing businesses to close - as can new retail projects to serve the growing population.
Toronto Star columnist […]
Cities and spiritual needs
Tuesday, October 9th, 2007Centuries ago, churches, temples, mosques or other spiritual building anchored a city. For example, when the Spaniards founded cities and towns in the new world, they built a large church at the centre (along with a public plaza and a government building). Around the world people traveled to cities near and […]
Tower Envy?
Tuesday, September 18th, 2007After terrorists attacked and destroyed the World Trade Center Towers six years ago, many people wondered if the days of iconic skyscrapers were over. Would tall buildings simply be giant targets for future terror plots?
Would cities compete to have the tallest buildings? Would developers and architects want to be involved (or would there […]
Urban Wi-fi
Tuesday, September 11th, 2007Last year many city governments actively pursued partnerships or other means to provide wireless internet access (wi-fi) in certain districts like downtown or throughout the city.
Today, ubiquitous urban wireless access is looking less likely in many US cities (whether paid or free). As the Associated Press reports, major ISP Earthlink is banking off its crusade […]