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?
Winds of Change in Kansas City
Local and Diverse > Networked and Global
Has the West Made a “Cult” of Home Ownership?
This $15 Trillion Market Is On the Verge of Collapse
Bonus Episode: The Bottom-Up Revolution
"We Can't Micromanage Great Urban Design Into Existence."
Winter Is Coming: Will Restaurants (and Customers) Adapt to Help Businesses Survive?
Why Cities Shouldn’t Wait for the Feds to Do Something about Reparations
Fragile Policies are Making California More Vulnerable to Megafires
For City Planners, Community Consensus Shouldn't Be the Standard
For U.S. Transit, "Death Spiral" Shouldn't Have Been an Option in the First Place
Can the Right and Left Come Together on Zoning Reform?
Pandemic Fallout: Will New York City Experience Long-term Decline?
"This Makes No Sense": An Ill-Fated Comprehensive Plan in Texas (and Why It Matters Where You Live)
Finding a Room to Rent in Boulder Won't Get Easier Anytime Soon
Help Shape the Future of the Strong Towns Podcasts
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Housing Prices?
Down to Earth: Time to Re-examine the Hype around Skyscrapers
A Better Use of Federal Infrastructure Spending
The U.S. Has An Affordable Housing Problem. Are Dead Shopping Malls the Solution?
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Commercial Edge: Unleash the Power of People
The emPOWERed Half Hour
Social Dallas Podcast
Change Church Podcast
Six Degrees with Kevin Bacon
Capital Decanted
Nonprofits Are Messy: Lessons in Leadership | Fundraising | Board Development | Communications