Comments on: In The Land Of Dead Shopping Malls: Smart Solutions For A Retail Apocalypse

By: Bookending an era in U.S. Retail?… « Scenarios and Strategy

Bookending an era in U.S. Retail?… « Scenarios and Strategy — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:47:59 +0000

[...] * for more on this phenomenon and what it might mean, this post in Jon Taplin’s blog is a good place to start… and for a peek at what could become of malls needy of a new purpose, see this post in The Infrastructuralist. [...]

By: Shop ’til you drop… « (Roughly) Daily

Shop ’til you drop… « (Roughly) Daily — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 08:04:51 +0000

By: The Daily Dig - NY Times ‘Special Infrastructure Issue’ Edition » INFRASTRUCTURIST

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 17:12:23 +0000

[...] Q&A’s with on this site–Jill Christensen about re-using empty big box stores and Ellen Dunham Jones about reclaiming dead malls — who both support a building ban on new retail space. Fat [...]

By: CNT Press Mentions May 2009 : Center for Neighborhood Technology

CNT Press Mentions May 2009 : Center for Neighborhood Technology — Wed, 20 May 2009 18:33:35 +0000

[...] Monitor - May 18, 2009 RTA Hopes Travelers Go Along with Goroo Chicago Tribune - May 15, 2009 In the Land of Dead Shopping Malls: Smart Solutions for a Retail Apocalypse The Infrastructurist - May 11, 2009 Chicago Transit Expert to Speak at Reshaping Rochester Lecture [...]

By: Centros Comerciais – Saturação e soluções « Conexão

Centros Comerciais – Saturação e soluções « Conexão — Tue, 19 May 2009 21:09:10 +0000

[...] Haverá também possibilidades de transformar os parques de estacionamento em espaços verdes. Via The Infrastructurist podemos encontrar mais [...]

By: admin

admin — Tue, 12 May 2009 20:32:12 +0000

Sure, all that.

I think the key is that overall consumption is going to drop and we’ve built out the country on a crazy, bubblish notion of what our retail infrastructure (for want of a better term) should be. So we’ll consume less overall, get more stuff online, etc. For all sorts of reasons there will be a contraction. That means lots of empty retail real estate.

Btw, the long term norm for consumption as a percentage of GDP is something like 63% percent. It had gotten up to 72% recently and we were overbuilt even for that rate. In a $14 trillion economy, that’s a lot of money. There’s a big adjustment to be made.

-Jebediah

By: Bess Himmel

Bess Himmel — Tue, 12 May 2009 20:15:50 +0000

So, then, do you think online shopping will increase as these malls get torn down? Will the transportation factor come into play enough that people will start to choose standard shipping rates over gas prices? I think the Internet will eventually take over for certain areas.

By: admin

admin — Tue, 12 May 2009 19:30:00 +0000

Thanks Jon and Jeremy.

I’ll check with Ellen — not impossible it was a transcription mistake on my part.

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Tue, 12 May 2009 19:23:08 +0000

Yes, I second you Jon. I just moved into the condos at UTC in February and frequently use the metro just across the street. All the same, I agree with the general premiss of the piece. Having just returned from Koln, Germany and Amsterdam, Netherlands I can attest to the sentiment: we live in The United States of Sprawl and potholes/falling down infrastructure/late and outdated choo choo trains etc. Oh well, no where but up from here.

By: Jon

Jon — Tue, 12 May 2009 12:41:32 +0000

I live two blocks from University Town Center. Dunham-Jones seems confused; the Metro has extended to near the UTC development since 1993. Also, the “main street” and retail were built about a year or two ago. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice enough development (though it’s suffering in this economy like everything else), but she doesn’t seem too up-to-date and informed about it.

By: Retail Fixtures are my Business

Retail Fixtures are my Business — Tue, 12 May 2009 02:37:13 +0000

I have heard that even GE is having trouble with many of their high-end rental properties and they might start selling them off in the fourth quarter.