Recent Articles

• A New Vision for Empty Parking Fields

  May 22, 2019

  As vehicle use and shopping habits change rapidly, densified parking areas can free up space for new uses that benefit the community.
  

• In Brief: Four Demographic Trends Spurring an Overhaul of the U.S. Food and Beverage Industry

  April 24, 2019

  A CBRE analysis of U.S. consumer spending and demographic patterns suggests significant changes for food-and-beverage operators and the real estate they occupy, including a greater push for convenient, prepared foods; a growing millennial influence; and the emergence of inner-ring suburbs as the industry’s hottest market.

• Creating an Authentic Performance Space in Philadelphia through Adaptive Use

  October 5, 2018

  When events mega-company LiveNation approached Philadelphia design firm EwingCole about transforming the former Ajax Metal Company into a 3,000-person music venue and entertainment complex, it was a daunting proposition, said speakers at a recent ULI Philadelphia event which toured the site. Modeled off the iconic 1960s venue in San Francisco, Live Nation now operates six Fillmore-branded venues across the United States, with a seventh on the way in New Orleans.

• Smaller Floor Plans, Focus on Customer Experience Help Reinvent Retail in Denver

  September 4, 2018

  Retailers are focusing their physical presences on offering excellent customer service and curation of products, said panelists at a ULI Colorado event in Denver. The event itself was held at the Dairy Block, an example of new retail projects that are animating both commercial and public spaces with experimental and experiential places for people to shop, eat, drink, be entertained, and find community.

• Online vs. In-store: Designing for the Next Generation of Shoppers

  August 6, 2018

  With the convenience and increasingly experiential process of shopping online, how can retail stores and malls compete? Thriving brands are combining their online and brick-and-mortar experiences to keep foot traffic high and regenerating communities.

• Integrating Culture and Content Is Key to Attracting Shoppers in Japan

  July 30, 2018

  At the ULI Japan Spring Conference 2018, panelists discussed how Japan’s malls can reinvigorate themselves with culture and content. Retail in Japan has not suffered as badly as elsewhere from the effects of online shopping, but the industry is concerned that malls need to offer more to retain customers.

• In Brief: Industry Optimism Pulls Back Slightly in RCLCO Midyear Survey

  July 9, 2018

  According to a survey by RCLCO, sentiments about the real estate conditions in the U.S. remain at a relatively high level, but slightly below where they were six months ago. Just over one-half (51 percent) of RCLCO’s Mid-Year 2018 Sentiment Survey respondents say U.S. real estate market conditions are moderately or significantly better today than they were 12 months ago, five percentage points lower than in the year-end 2017 survey.

• Solution File: Retrofitting Arterial Strip Centers in Austin, Texas

  A national developer transforms a faded Texas strip center into a mixed-use place around a central urban street.

• As Demographics Shift, Placemaking Becomes an Increasingly Important Component of Retail Development

  June 18, 2018

  Retail developers who gathered at the 2018 ULI Florida Summit talked about what is working and what isn’t, as they shift their focus to more entertainment and dining amenities combined with mixed use from the traditional strip centers of the recent past.