• A brief history of retail and mixed-use

    From the decimation of downtowns to the “retail apocalypse,” massively changing retail has been the norm for the last seven decades. Urban retail may benefit from the current transformation.
    This is one of a series of ongoing Public Square articles on the market, technological, and cultural transformation of the $5 trillion retail industry—and how it relates to a continued shift toward walkable, urban living. In the beginning, we built beautiful main streets and downtowns, and we all...Read more

  • Problems and solutions for main street retail

    Shopability studies for two Florida cities illustrate the potential and hurdles for many American small-to-midsize downtowns.
    Note: This is one of a series of ongoing Public Square articles on the market, technological, and cultural transformation of the $5 trillion retail industry—and how it relates to a continued shift toward walkable, urban living. People love a main street, but the tired, dated look and incomplete...Read more

  • Experience is the new buzzword for walkable town centers

    As the retail market becomes less certain, mixed-use developers look to other ways to boost foot traffic and create a destination.
    Online retail sales are having a mixed impact on urbanism. Downtowns are thriving, but many walkable mixed-use centers in the suburbs are struggling, says retail expert and urbanist Bob Gibbs of Gibbs Planning . Some mixed-use developments are focusing on “experience” to create foot traffic and...Read more