The redevelopment of a former port area is allowing the inner city of Hamburg to expand toward the Elbe River.

Chicago’s Aqua Tower is an 82-story concrete structure with more than 1.9 million square feet (176,500 sq m); tenth-tallest building in Chicago. Rated LEED-NC (for new construction) under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program of the U.S. Green Building Council. Construction cost is estimated at $300 million per GreenSource magazine.

Ten remade shopping centers exemplify opportunities for transformation.

Ideally, mixed-use projects achieve some kind of symbiosis among their elements, creating a whole that is more than the sum of the parts. All completed in the past five years, the following ten projects represent innovative takes on combining product types.

A compact new Denver IKEA uses geothermal and solar energy, coupled with parking ramp conveyors, to create a more land- and energy-efficient alternative to sprawling big-box stores.

Powered by diversified markets that include technology, shipping, and agriculture, the Golden State’s real estate industry appears to be on the upswing.

The Avenue, located at one of the most coveted corners in Hollywood’s current renaissance, was developed as a condominium by an affiliate of John Laing Homes, now submerged in Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The seven-story condominium development was 70 percent complete when Laing halted construction. Read how the property is being repositioned and what the developer considers a key to its approach.

Retailers large and small, from Wal-Mart and Safeway on down to Local D’Lish and Mayberry Foodstuffs, are reshaping the urban grocery experience. And with traditional grocers like A & P filing for bankruptcy, independent grocers and national chains alike are seeking a place in the multiple-niche urban environment. Read how retailers are meeting city customers’ needs in mixed-use projects in 2011.