urban retail trends
« Previous EntriesWill there be corporate resistance to smaller homes
Tuesday, June 16th, 2009Since World War II, the North American landscape has been remade to suit the automobile. Urban spaces often languished (with notable exceptions) in favour of suburban spaces, spread out such that driving and automobile ownership became necessities.
A tremendous automotive-industry lobby contributed to this phenomenon. Government built roads provided a massive subsidy to the motor vehicle […]
Will economic patriotism improve cities
Friday, April 24th, 2009In the United States there is notable talk about how people should be buying American, with some trying to have this enshrined in official policy. Economix this week pondered whether this economic patriotism was uniquely American (I doubt it).
Meanwhile, Richard Florida comments on a “home base” effect that certain brands have. Starbucks peforms best in […]
Wal-Mart, the Independent Retailers, and the Recession
Monday, February 23rd, 2009Two interesting phenomena seem to be happening in this downturn: Wal-Mart is thriving but so is shopping local. On the latter: Richard Layman from Urban Places and Spaces Blog notes that he has been:
somewhat more conscious and [shopping locally] myself, such as buying toys as gifts from Sullivan’s Toy Store on Wisconsin Avenue NW, or […]
Is Costco really a threat to Manhattan?
Sunday, August 24th, 2008 Or is Manhattan more of a threat to Costco?
For years the discount warehouse retailer Costco has been looking for a site in Manhattan. According to the New York Sun, they may have found one. But there is vocal opposition from residents, politicians and even some unions.
Much of the rationale behind opposing it […]
Gasoline prices: keeping shoppers closer to home?
Wednesday, June 18th, 2008Americans drove 11 billion fewer miles in March 2008 than in March 2007.
This suggests that either people are carpooling to work, not going to work, or making fewer and shorter pleasure trips — or all of the above. This should affect shopping behavior and by implication metropolitan retail patterns.
Combined with the slowing economy, presumably […]
Blaming fast food outlet proximity for obesity
Monday, May 5th, 2008According to a UCLA study (found via Planetizen):
Higher rates of diabetes and obesity occur in neighborhoods — regardless of the residents’ income, race or ethnicity — where fast-food restaurants and convenience stores greatly outnumber grocery stores and produce vendors, according to a statewide study released today.
But is this correlation the same thing as saying that […]
Floating semi-cities?
Saturday, March 29th, 2008The Creativity Exchange ran a post this week about The Freedom Ship - a floating city complete with airport, university, office space, and residences priced from $180,000 to $44 million. The Freedom Ship is supposed to circumnavigate the globe every 12 months, which seems a little challenging — those Atlantic and Pacific storms might be […]
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 […]
Density, family business and “mompreneurs”
Monday, December 17th, 2007In the dense neighborhoods and suburbs of Mexico City (such as Ciudad Neza or Coacalcos) I’ve often been intrigued by the variety of home based businesses that families — often the mother — operate. Some make paletas — ice creams and popsicles — to sell on the street or from a door […]
Infrastructure and human capital needed
Tuesday, October 16th, 2007CEOs for cities has a post this week entitled “Can Bass Pro Shops Really Save Troubled Cities.” In it, the author challenges the planners of Buffalo for inviting a large Bass Pro Shop to open on the waterfront as part of a revitalization scheme, citing Ed Glaeser:
Harvard economist Ed Glaeser questioned the strategy. […]