Shopping malls are dying off left and right with the rise of ecommerce. Consequently, mall owners wanting to get out of the retail game are starting to sell their buildings to Amazon, whereupon they are converted to fulfillment centers. For critics of Amazon, this shark-like snapping up of competition is a source of concern.
But could it, perhaps, also be viewed as a stepping-stone (even if not a pleasant one) on the path to fighting the influence of big box stores? Could Amazon actually be helping local economies, in the long run?
This week on Upzoned, host Abby Kinney is joined by Strong Towns president Chuck Marohn as they "upzone" a recent article from Archinect—i.e., they look at it through the Strong Towns lens. The article in question, written by Katherine Guimapang, is titled "Amazon is buying up dead malls—adaptive reuse, or just eating its prey?" It covers Amazon's conversion of 25 abandoned malls into fulfillment centers from 2016 to 2019, which Abby and Chuck dive deeper into as they discuss the implications of this expansion for local economies.
Then in the Downzone, Chuck is reading a book that he's not sure actually merits recommendation. Abby is in the market for a new bike, which steers the discussion towards biking trails and…real estate?
Closing the Doors on the "Bad Party" in Lake Wylie, South Carolina
Upzoned Live in Santa Ana
SoCal Is So Addicted to Cars. Should They Get Rid of Parking Minimums Anyway?
Can we make California wildfires less destructive by changing the way we build?
Live Episode: Minneapolis ended single-family-only zoning. Do the new guidelines go too far, not far enough, or are they just right (for now)?
The real reason why Bill Gates' and Jeff Bezos' posh suburb is going broke
Why is the "Miracle on 14th Street" Bus Rapid Transit Line Such a Miracle?
Spooky Wisdom: What Lessons Should We Be Learning from How Our Ancestors Built Cities?
Is There a Way to Build Prisons that Makes Our Town Stronger?
Our Cities' Housing Crises are Getting Worse. Is it Time to Offer a Cash Prize to Anyone Who Can Solve Them?
How America's Highway Funding System is Like Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (and No, That's Not A Good Thing)
Prototyping the City
What the Left Gets Wrong About Public Transportation
How Do You Solve a Problem Like North St. Louis? Stop Erasing It, for One.
Meet the Pro Sports Stadium That Won't Make Your City Go Broke
What Burning Man Can Teach You About Making Your City Financially Stronger (Yes, Really)
Are Vision Zero Programs Working in Our Cities—and Would They if We Took Them National?
A Left-Wing Wrench and a Right-Wing Hammer
Is Strong Towns Anti-Smart City?
Should We Save The American Mall?
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