My Chapter on Retail in Suburban Remix: Creating the Next Generation of Urban Places

Published On: January 1, 2018By Categories: Short Read

In the 2000’s and 2010’s, the traditional Downtown returned to levels of popularity it had not experienced since the 1950’s, not just in the central cities but also, a bit less expectedly, in the suburbs, where residents and workers increasingly craved a similar sort of environment and experience – albeit on a more modest scale. In a volume co-edited by David Dixon and Jason Beske on the “Suburban Remix: Creating the Next Generation of Urban Places” (Island Press, 2018), I contributed the chapter on retail’s role in this phenomenon. In it, I first trace and analyze the history and evolution of the American retail landscape and consumer culture since the late 1800’s. I start with a detailed review of the urban context from which this renewed interest presumably springs – the “Dominant Downtown” (late 1800’s to 1960), then the “Declining Downtown” (1960’s/1970’s), the “Derivative Downtown” (1970’s/1980’s) and the “Distinctive Downtown” (1990’s to 2010’s) – and then proceed through the various phases of suburban retail development – from regional malls to power centers to lifestyle centers/town centers to walkable places, with the rise of e-commerce thrown in. I follow that with a nuanced discussion of the various elements that characterize today’s resurgent suburban Downtown (e.g. sanitized urbanism, broader trade area, nonconventional anchors, destination and niche-driven retail mix, enough nearby parking, etc.). The rest of the book contains chapters from various other experts, viewing the subject through the lenses of planning, placemaking,, housing, office, etc. as well as introducing relevant case studies from across North America and beyond. A big thanks to David Dixon, Jason Beske and Island Press for bringing me in on it. I’ve always enjoyed working with David, first at Goody Clancy and now at Stantec Urban Places, not only because he is a lovely person who maintains his humility despite his stature in the field but also, he is the rare planner and urban designer who understands the critical importance of market realities in the creation of great places.

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