Ever consider playing a role in retail attraction?
Has your municipality, local authority, BID, BIA or other sort of Downtown organization ever considered playing a role in RETAIL ATTRACTION? If so, the long-form article I wrote for the peer-reviewed Journal of Urban Regeneration and Renewal (JURR) — and have attached below — provides a useful guide, detailing the “why”, the “what” and the “how”, while also pointing to the attendant nuances and the possible pitfalls.
The “why” presents a compelling argument for the public/non-profit sector embracing a more proactive approach in catalyzing, elevating, shaping and/or nurturing the retail mix within their districts –given the critical voids that exist in the leasing ecosystem as a result of the incentive structures within which private-sector actors operate.
The “what” delves into the specific functions which such a role might entail. Not everyone should be in the business of actual recruitment, but there are many other parts to play, ranging from basic (e.g. information clearinghouse to more involved (e.g. broker “road-show”). I also lay out the practical considerations — internal capacities/resources, stakeholder dynamics and other variables — that should guide decision-making on which of these make the most sense for your agency or organization.
The “how” introduces all of the “table-setting” that must happen first, the foundational concepts that underlie (realistic) retail prospecting (if indicated), the mechanics of how that process works as well as the common mistakes to avoid.
The piece draws on observations gleaned, lessons learned and conclusions reached in my nearly 25 years of working with public/non-profit entities across the U.S., Canada and the U.K. on the roll-out of such efforts. It featured in the Summer 2025 Special Issue of the JURR on the “Impact of Downtown Programs at Business Improvement Districts”, along with several other practice and research papers, including ones written by David Downey (President and CEO of the International Downtown Association) and Paul Levy (Board Chair of Philadelphia’s Center City District). Thanks again to Julie Kerry, JURR’s Publisher, and Gary Ferguson, the issue’s Guest Editor, for offering me the opportunity.