1. Urbanizing the Suburban Street

    From the always-good The Atlantic Cities, a story about Montgomery County, MD turning suburban arterial streets into “complete” streets that cater to pedestrians and bicycles as well.

  2. Baltimore Developer to Stack Walmart on Top of Lowe’s


    The Baltimore Sun is reporting that Kann Partners, a development firm is planning a $65 million housing and retail development anchored by Walmart and Lowe’s, which they plan on stacking. This is interesting for a few reasons:

    1. From the article:

      It will be the first to open in this area since [Walmart] executives launched a campaign to retool stores with new graphics and merchandise as well as eco-friendly construction and operating practices.

    2. On top of the Lowe’s and Walmart will be a green roof that covers an acre.

    3. The Lowe’s store will be mostly underground.

    4. The Walmart will be about half the size of typical supercenters, but still contain a grocery store.

    5. The site for development is an urban part of Baltimore, not out in the suburbs.

    I can’t help but wonder if Lowe’s and Walmart are being so flexible because they are running out of easy suburban opportunities. This project runs counter to the typical pattern of a big-box retail development and is much more suited to an urban locale. The stacking, shrinking, and greening of the building is a positive response to an urban context, but we’ll have to see if big-box stores can replicate their suburban financial successes in cities.

  3. Shopping Malls Are Going Extinct

    While the mall may not be dead yet, it’s lost the ability to reproduce—a sure sign of its extinction.

    No new regional, enclosed malls have been built since 2006 and none are in the works. Lifestyle centers, on the other hand, are still a viable concept. The article also makes a great point about banks: things don’t get built if banks won’t finance them.

  4. The War Against Suburbia

    I’m linking to this because I don’t think I’ve read an article I’ve disagreed with more. It’s well-written, but I disagree with every presumption and statement made. Here’s a great one:

    In addition, the president’s stimulus—with its $8 billion allocation for high-speed rail and proposed giant increases in mass transit—offers little to anyone who lives outside a handful of large metropolitan cores.

    Yes, let’s forget about the majority of millions and millions of Americans living in a “handful” of cities. Nevermind that many, many cities have mass transit systems (here’s a list of some) and millions rely on them.

  5. Houses, all the same?

    Julia Baum took pictures of houses with the exact same plan in Santa Clara, CA. The differences are striking.