Shipping Container Pop-ups: Best Practice or Best Forgotten?

Dan McCombie is a Research Associate at Larisa Ortiz Associates

I caught myself typing this into my google machine the other day:

“Are shipping containers still cool?”

This question has been on my mind as of late, given that the phenomenon of turning shipping containers into pop-ups for retail, exhibition space, offices, and even tiny homes, has been going on for quite some time now. Many people are no doubt familiar with the well renowned downtown Container Park in Las Vegas, constructed in 2013 as part of a huge reinvestment package spurred by the relocation of online retailer Zappos to the neighborhood. And I personally remember when back in 2011 my hometown of Christchurch (NZ) had its central city devastated by earthquake, spurring the city to create Re:Start to quickly breathe life back into the CBD. Are people still doing this? Is it still perceived as both a savvy marketing scheme and opportunity to catalyze revitalization? Or is the public starting to experience container-fatigue?

What’s the problem with containers?

Admittedly, there is a part of me that sometimes looks upon containers with disdain simply because they are so ubiquitous now. But I stumbled upon this quote from an article by John King in an article he wrote for SFGATE.com, wherein he waxes on the creation of “Proxy,” another container park constructed in 2011 in the Hayes Valley neighborhood of San Francisco:

“This isn’t about architecture so much as urban place making: you’re less aware of the structures than of the surroundings. The containers aren’t treated as sculptural elements, as is the case recently in other international cities. They’re content to add layers to the landscape, enlarging the Hayes Valley experience without making a fuss.”

Which I interpret to mean: “Calm down. Forget about the medium and consider the effect.”

And rightly so. I actually visited Proxy when I was last in San Francisco, when a couple of friends brought me to the beer garden there (Biergarten). Recalling that visit and doing some background research, I learned that Proxy was exactly as the name describes—a temporary placeholder until more permanent development could take place, much like Re:Start in Christchurch. The site on Octavia Street was originally an underutilized parking lot that the city sought to redevelop for affordable housing. However, the original plan was tabled with the advent of the economic recession. Rather than let the site lay vacant and an eyesore on the neighborhood, the city and the Mayor’s office bid the site out for a temporary and less costly installation, to which the designer/developer/operator Envelope A+D responded with their plan for a “flexible environment of food, art, culture, and retail within renovated shipping containers.” 

Although city codes lacked precedent for a “temporary” retail operation lasting more than 90 days (the project is due to expire in 2020), stakeholders were able to negotiate an agreement such that project became a reality. Now retail tenants include a mix of established brands and start-ups taking their first incremental step towards brick and mortars. In addition to retail offerings, the project hosts film screenings, art installations, and serves as a performance/event space creating a bonafide neighborhood gathering place.   

What have container parks like Proxy meant for retail?

Proxy bucks the trend in retail in the sense that in spite of its positive public reception and the relative success of its tenants, it plans to shutter in a couple of years. Why remove something that seems to be a success? Because it was always designed to be a stop-gap and of course the need to grow the supply of affordable housing in the Bay Area is still an acute need. But the lessons remain. What Proxy did well was create density in a vacant space. It was consciously conceived as a means to revitalize a previously blighted area, a parking lot that had also been the former site of a freeway. There were other things Proxy did well—curating the mix of tenants in a meaningful way and targeting operators that could feasibly make the jump to brick and mortars after a period of incubation. I also appreciate that the designers consciously eschewed the term “pop-up.” In a quote from Douglas Burnham, founder of Envelope A+D:

“We specifically don’t use the word ‘pop-up’ because it doesn’t really mean anything to us anymore…We think that a thoughtful insertion of compelling temporary uses can be an effective strategy to bring vibrancy to languishing parts of the city. There’s nothing trendy or faddish about this.”

Admittedly, one could argue it is a bit faddish to treat “pop-up” as a pejorative term. But I think this gets back to my main takeaway. Before you critique something for its popularity, it’s important to consider if and why it actually has staying power.

So…do containers have staying power?

As far as I’ve been able to tell, the containerization of our lives continues unabated. Large brands like Budlight, DSW, Puma, HBO, and HP are increasingly demanding container pop-ups for experiential retailing strategies while a growing number of companies are supplying both specialized and turnkey options. They range from Co-Working in a Box’s “PopBox”, Britten’s “BoxPop”, and Vacant’s mobile container truck, each providing a range of design and consultative services to help get businesses off the ground and engage customers in places they didn’t expect.

And let’s not miss the fact that a whole segment of companies have an identical model for indoor pop-ups. The shopping mall giant Macerich’s Pop-Up EXP program provides 100-300 SF of space with micro leases, and modular components. The difference here is we’re not talking about containers. Again—this suggests a larger trend with momentum and that the medium (containers) is really beside the point.

What’s on the horizon?

Some forward-thinking folks have gone so far as to envision containers as outparcels–parking lot satellites to larger retailers located inside shopping malls. For example, perhaps a Nordstrom anchoring a mall uses a container in the parking lot as a small fulfillment center so customers have the convenience of picking up their order on the fly without the full commitment of going inside. It’s no stretch of the imagination given the way e-commerce has pushed the industry towards more rapid and flexible retail with just-in-time delivery schedules. And what with autonomous vehicles ahead, these trends will surely continue into the foreseeable future.

Personally, I’m excited to see pop-ups and container villages keep building off of what has worked in the past. Invest Atlanta, the City of Atlanta’s Development Authority, approved $550K in funding to create an “MLK Innovation Village” built out of shipping containers in an empty parking lot adjacent to the H.E. Holmes MARTA station. The village will include an outdoor gathering space, retail, and at least nine offices with the intent that this “semi-temporary” project will be a catalyst for future transit oriented development in the area. It’s the same model as Proxy and Re:Start, but with a creative transit component that could give it possibly massive multiplier effects.

Which is all to say, I think we still have a lot of containers coming our way in the future.

And that’s quite alright with me.

Puma City
 Multiple Global Ports

Re:Start
Christchurch, NZ

Proxy
Hayes Valley neighborhood of SF

Container Park
Downtown Las Vegas 

Round Up: Transit Hub Resurgence, Alleyway Installations, Color in a Gray City, A Changing Newark, Reducing Traffic in the Built Environment

Full steam ahead: Why transit hub development is seeing a resurgence
Transit hubs in Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and New York City see renewed interest and resurgence of development based on new emphasis of the whole transit experience beyond just the transportation to include the full immersive experience of dining and shopping as well. 

Chattanooga’s forgotten alleyways come back to life with architectural installations
Four alleyways in downtown Chattanooga have been transformed by artist's installations to remind residents of these often forgotten and unused passages. 

Pilsen: An Explosion of Color in a Gray City
Southwest of Chicago's downtown lies Pilsen, a neighborhood that has evolved over the decades to become a current hot spot of culture, color, and community among the gray of the Windy City.

In Shadow of Manhattan, a Troubled City Is Having a Moment
Newark, New Jersey has tried many times in the past to turn the page and put itself back on the map. With many new investments and attention being diverted to its downtown, it might have its strongest chance yet.

Built Environment Policies to Reduce Vehicle Travel in Massachusetts

A pragmatic six-point plan to cut traffic published by the State Smart Transportation Initiative gives much credit in reduction in traffic to mixed-use and Complete Street development. Vehicle-Miles Traveled, a measurable outcome, is discussed in this piece.

Image source: albany2030.org

Waterfront Revitalization Driving Commercial Reinvestment: A Few Examples

An increasing number of waterfronts have undergone makeovers in recent years and helping to revitalize commercial corridors along the way. They’ve been usually touted as reclamation projects: These rivers run through the heart of their cities and their waterfronts have been blocked by the presence of major structures once dedicated to manufacturing and shipping. Big cities have been working the river angle to their advantage for some time. A few cities, like Providence and San Antonio have become destinations because of the opportunities created by their rivers.

But it’s not just big cities. A growing number of small to medium-size cities are embracing their once industrial waterfronts and transforming them into a destination for residents, businesses and visitors. Increasingly, local economic development officials and authorities are recognizing the potential of integrating these waterfronts into their cities’ urban fabric and in many cases using them as a complementing destination enriching downtowns with additional activities and amenities.

To be successful, however, waterfront revitalization schemes need to go beyond cleaning and activating these areas; they need to be able to integrate them with surrounding neighborhoods (residential and commercial alike) through walkable streetscape improvements, clear visual and physical connections and enhance their sense of place through meaningful public spaces. Furthermore, as the examples below reveal, they require committed leadership at multiple government levels as well as a strong organization with the capacity and drive to carry out these efforts.

Owensboro, KY

Smothers Park and Promenade, Owensboro, Kentucky

This city of fifty eight thousand residents, the 4th largest in Kentucky, has seen tremendous growth since its riverfront revitalization took place. Thanks to an initial public investment of $80 million, obtained through a doubling of the local tax on insurance premiums from 4 to 8 percent, Owenboro’s city administration spearheaded the process. Like any proposed tax increase, it was hotly debated and controversial but the commitment of tax dollars sent a powerful message that prompted the private sector to get on board. As key Owensboro leaders understood early on, the river, which gave the town its past, could also provide it a brighter future. And it did.

The first catalytic project was Smothers Park and Promenade: a nearly six-acre park that fronts the river and includes a sprawling playground, a veterans memorial, promenades, three fountains with water shows every 15 minutes, a cascading waterfall, and seating where residents and visitors can enjoy the Ohio River and its views.

After the completion of Smothers Park, RiverPark Center, a performing arts center, was built adjacent to it, followed by a 169,000SF convention center, two hotels and a number of businesses that were attracted to the area's increased visibility. The riverfront transformation was so catalytic (generating approximately $1 billion in combined public and private investments) that brought Owensboro feature article coverage in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and elsewhere.

Port Huron, MI

Port Huron Waterfront

Once a busy industrial hub, Port Huron’s tired waterfront languished as commercial tonnage through the port decayed since the 1970s. Like many Midwest communities that were once very dependent on heavy industry, Port Huron needed to change to survive.

In the last few years Port Huron positioned itself as a tourist destination by promoting its waterfront location and history. Proclaimed as the “Maritime Capital of the Great Lakes,” Port Huron now hosts community events including Coast Guard Days and the annual Port Huron to Mackinac yacht race. Maritime museums showcase historical lighthouses and turn of the century ships.

Port Huron’s waterfront renaissance is the result of a long-range waterfront redevelopment planning process. The “Southside Summit”, co-hosted by the city and a private developer, Acheson Ventures, provided a forum for community exchange of information, concerns, and visions for the most important piece of waterfront real estate in Port Huron.

One of the early catalytic projects was Desmond Landing, a mixed-use redevelopment at the confluence of Black River and St. Clair River that includes fishing access and a promenade. Desmond Landing has been carefully planned and developed in a configuration that re-establishes the linkage between the automobile and pedestrian environment of Main Street with the boating and pedestrian environment of the waterfront. Municipally-funded projects also complement the project and reinforce this linkage by extending the traditional street and sidewalk grid from Main Street toward the river.

Most recently, at the north end of the Desmond Landing project, the privately owned Black River Marina has been refurbished and named Desmond Marine. The marina adds a full-service boat dealership to several other riverfront marinas and businesses leading up the river through the Main Street district. Together with new public sidewalks, a mile-long promenade and a new 35,000 SF convention center these developments have brought new life and vibrancy to the area.

In addition to larger catalytic projects, smaller initiatives that complement these waterfront revitalization efforts are making a difference. For example, in order to prevent a “second downtown” in Port Huron and disperse economic activities, the Port Huron Main Street program has worked closely with private developers to remove visual and physical barriers between the historic Main Street and new waterfront developments and thus create a cohesive and accessible Main Street connected to the water.

Wheeling, West Virginia

Heritage Port, Wheeling, West Virginia

Like many American cities, the community of Wheeling was long disconnected from its river by a layer of flood protection infrastructure along with underutilized building structures. Recognizing the potential of its waterfront heritage, the city devised a long-term plan to redevelop the port and encourage activity along the waterfront. The Wheeling National Heritage Area Corporation (WNHAC) was thus established to lead the process. Its first step was the demolition of the Wharf Garage, an old parking structure blocking the city’s connection to the waterfront, and its replacement by a waterfront park with trails, events spaces and river access. Heritage Port opened in 2002 and since then has become a local and regional destination that attracts between 250,000 – 300,000 visitors annually to the festivals and events held there.

In addition to re-establishing Wheeling’s access to the waterfront, WNHAC brought to the area the Wheeling Artisan Center, an adaptive mixed use industrial structure, consisting of three buildings with a three-story atrium and skylight. Originally housing a grocery business and dating back to 1868, the building had several uses in the intervening years. WNHAC rehabilitated the building, which is currently functioning as office space, a large restaurant incorporating Wheeling’s heritage, an arts and craft floor, an art space, and a 7,500 square foot special events hall used for conferences, wedding receptions and banquets.

Buffalo, NY

After years of economic decline, Buffalo New York is in the midst of significant redevelopment activity along its long forgotten waterfront. Spearheading the process is the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation (ECHDC), a state-run agency created to manage the rehabilitation of Buffalo’s waterfront through projects funded through a combination of money from New York State and the New York Power Authority.

Canalside, Buffalo, NY

At the core of Buffalo’s revitalization process is Canalside, a nautical-themed public park that transformed Buffalo’s inner harbor. Open to the public since May 2008, Canalside features several restored components of the original Erie Canal Harbor, including the Commercial Slip, Boardwalk, and the Historic Replica Canals. A regional attraction, Canalside offers thousands of events, concerts, festivals, family activities, historical and cultural programming, art, food, and tours. In addition, the Historic Replica Canals are frozen in the winter months to become New York State’s largest outdoor ice skating rink.

Canalside, Buffalo, NY

With these infrastructure investments and a new organization tasked with development in place, developers began to see what had been blight as an opportunity. In 2014, an office building that had been empty for 20 years reopened as One Canalside, with a hotel and law firm as tenants. That same year, an ice hockey-themed mixed-use development called HarborCenter opened its doors on land that had been a surface parking lot.

A new attraction, Pearl Street Grill and Brewery was attracted by the abandoned grain elevator structures and waterfront improvements

According to local and state authorities, the public investments initially made to revitalize the waterfront were a necessary component in making the waterfront more attractive and more accessible to residents, but also to private sector investment. In fact, progress can already be seen and experienced. Last year Canalside received nearly 1.5 million visitors, and local planning officials report thousands of construction jobs and over a thousand permanent jobs created. Thanks to its revamped waterfront, Buffalo is becoming the go-to place for visitors of all ages to play, dine and relax.

New York City Department of Small Business Services issues Commercial District Needs Assessments

We are thrilled to share the release of the City of New York's Commercial District Needs Assessments (CDNA's). These six neighborhood assessments set a tremendously high bar for the kind of information that government entities can collect and share on behalf of local communities. The assessments give neighborhoods a powerful tool that they can use to encourage investment and advocate for the improvements they want and need. They allow neighborhoods to communicate not only strengths, but also make clear the kinds of enhancements that are needed to improve quality of life and business opportunities for both residents and businesses alike.

Our connection to this project is quite personal. Over a year ago, the New York office of the Local Initiative Support Corporation provided funding for our firm, Larisa Ortiz Associates, to develop the framework for what eventually became the CDNA approach. In coming months we will be working with LISC  to turn the methodology in a practical 'how to' manual so that other communities can benefit from - and perhaps even replicate - the approach.

Our philosophy has always been that communities - particularly underserved urban communities - cannot and should not be understood by market data alone. The syndicated data that is available is often inaccurate. So when retailers or investors use it to understand urban markets they are often misled to believe there is limited opportunity for new business. To combat that perception we have developed an approach, honed over many years, that considers four key areas of inquiry as follows:

• Business environment - in particular locations of high retail density, as well as the quality and type of retail offerings
• Physical environment - including the conditions of the public realm (i.e. streets, sidewalks, and public spaces) and the private realm (buildings, and privately owned assets) as well as the degree to which the corridor is easily accessible the the resident and non-resident customer base
• Market and demographic data - not just for residents, but also for non-residents, including employees and visitors to the community who may alter the customer profile
• Adminstrative capacity - which reflects the organizations, institutions and local leaders whose engagement is critical to the success of commercial revitlaizaiton efforts. 

This approach results in a much more comprehensive profile of opportunities and needs - and helps put communities behind the steering wheel when it comes to advocating for the investments that they want and need. We couldn't be more excited to share this with the field. Congrats to the amazing team at SBS for the hard work that went into creating these wonderful tools!

To download the assessments and to find out more about the great work that the Department of Small Business Services is doing click here. 

Round Up: Streets That Define America, Barcelona's Superblocks, Detroit's Food Incubators, Illuminating Blight

10 STREETS THAT DEFINE AMERICA
This Curbed article gives perspective to different characterizations a street can embody. Referring to their work Curbed says, "Four factors emerged as the dominant forces shaping our cities: Regeneration fueled by small businesses, new development and the changes that follow, alternative transportation options, and rich, if burdensome, cultural legacies."

Beautiful graphics, images, videos and storytelling in this piece!

What New York Can Learn From Barcelona’s ‘Superblocks’
Unlike New York's attempt to carve out public plazas in busy pedestrian corridors, Barcelona's plan to create "superblocks represents a more radical approach that fundamentally challenges the notion that streets even belong to cars."

FoodLab Detroit Is Baking Equity Into Detroit's Food Scene
Detroit has a growing food scene. Through funding and awareness, FoodLab Detroit created Detroit Kitchen Connect, "a network of shared kitchens in community centers and churches that double as incubator space" and "also provides low-income entrepreneurs of color access to the organization’s social and financial capital."

Illuminating Blight in Upstate New York
A temporary art installation in the three Capital Region cities calls for a solution to vacancy and abandonment by illuminating 100's of abandoned buildings to cast light on the topic of blight. "Breathing Lights" is funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge and hopes to draw "attention to the widespread issue of blight and calling for a tangible path to revitalization."

Round Up: Community-Run Commercial Space, City Power, Crowdfunding Green Space, NYC Kiosks Makeover, Detroit Small Business Growth

The Quest for Community-Run Commercial Space
England has pubs,  Paris has bookstores, so why can't New York City have state-sanctioned commercial spaces in an era of high commercial vacancy, especially in lower Manhattan, and shuttering of stores that are intricate to the cultural fabric of the city. The Real Estate Investment Cooperative steps in where the city is slow to form a plan.

Cities are powering the rebound in national income growth
For the most part we have recently seen headlines regarding a national income rebound. Much of the economic drive comes from US's thriving city economies.

Greening Urban Space through Crowdfunding
This a quick and simple example of using the power of community to green an urban space. Crowdfunding is not totally new but this short article sheds light on its usefulness to update a small derelict parcel of land for community enjoyment.

Free Wi-Fi Kiosks Were to Aid New Yorkers. An Unsavory Side Has Spurred a Retreat.
A new accessory to the streets of NYC has gone awry. These multifunctional units came to replace the underused or unusable pay telephones on the street but apparently came with too much functionality as people have begun to basically spend hours on end at them. This new NYC streetscape feature had good intentions and will be modified to ensure that those intentions are met for good. How is your district meeting technological needs?

Detroit Small Businesses Get Room to Grow
Grant money is giving Detroit business owners chance to grow. Does your city offer similar funding sources to help the entrepreneurial drive?  Big gains were noted in a follow up article "Entrepreneurship Fund Touts Big Gains for Metro Detroit."

Round Up: "Innovation Districts," The Housing Trilemma, Philly Revamps Corridors, Walkable Urbanism Ranked, Chicago Rakes in Another Corp HQ

Newest Fad in Urban Development: Innovation Districts

You can call something a duck but does that make it a duck? Despite the use of farm animals to draw out this point, does calling a district an "Innovation District" guarantee its future as such. A new trend in urban development is encasing areas with this name. 

Only Three US Cities Have Good Jobs, Affordable Housing, and High Quality of Life

In the wake of housing affordability rising across the nation but the desire to live in both a city with a strong economy and high quality of life, Josh Lehner at the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis explored the “housing tri-lemma” and discovered three US cities that achieve all three.

City Aims to Re-energize Struggling Retail Districts

In Philadelphia, new energy, direction, and leadership abounds for their commercial corridors that have been neglected over time. Philadelphia has multiple district initiatives such as the Storefront Improvement Program, The Business Security Camera Program, and The Instore Forgivable Loan. Find out more...

Walkable Cities Gaining Ground Against Suburbs, Says Report

The article claims that walkable urban places command a rent premium, increase equity—and are poised for more growth. The story presents data and charts displaying levels of Walkable Urbanism.

McDonald’s Corp Among Others Relocating to Chicago - Defies City’s Financial Troubles

The companies are following the labor force which wants to be where the action is. McDonald’s is moving its HQ from sprawling leafy suburban Oak Brook to an area close to the city’s most violent neighborhoods - "joining a parade of companies creating an island of prosperity amid urban dysfunction."

Roundup: Queens Boulevard Transformation, Philly's Old City Makeover, NYC's 1 Million Trees, Walmart Pull Out

Transformation of Queens Boulevard

For years, Queens Boulevard in Queens, NY was tagged as the "Boulevard of Death" due to its chaotic nature, unfortunate fatalities, and high traffic of pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles. The city of New York is transforming this thoroughfare with a complete streets makeover. Watch the video.

vimeo.com/153198048

After the Hangover: How Old City Finally Sobered up and Crafted a Grown-up Vision for Itself

Philadelphia's Old City District is turning over a new leaf and shedding its old thick skin by utilizing an organized administration that is engaged with the public in combination with nuisance fighting tactics to make the district desirable for businesses, patrons, and residents.

NYC Just Planted 1 Million Trees. Here's How They Did It.

The story behind how one group managed to succeed where many have failed. Three main reasons why one million trees have been planted in NYC since its inception eight years ago.

Can Cities Afford to Trust Walmart?

After a recent pull out of plans to build a store in underserved Ward 7 of Washington DC and the shuttering of 269 stores globally, some of which were only built within the last five years and inevitably caused smaller grocers or pharmacies to go out of business, city leaders are now becoming apprehensive about striking deals with Walmart.  A small shift with the giant retailer that could cause a ripple effect in the retail market.

News Roundup: The Importance of Commercial Density, Combating Crime Proactively, Reinventing MLK, Bank Local, The Misappropriation of ED Incentives

Commercial or Residential Density: Which is Most Important?
Urban Kchoze presents a detailed analysis of the relationship between commercial density and residential density to uncover which promotes walkability more. Spoiler alert: commercial density. They also incorporate an interesting new metric, "farthest commercial use."

Urban Planning Practice Shows How Design Can Combat Crime

This design guide's prescription is to be proactive not reactive to crime. Good design and maintenance of the public space prevents crime from even happening. The alternative - NOT suggested - is to react to crime by adding more measures that further label the area as a target of crime.  

The Remaking of Martin Luther King Streets

City Lab looks at the reinvention of the more than 900 street and thoroughfares named after the late Martin Luther King Jr.

How to Find a Bank That Invests in Your Local Economy

Eat Local...Buy Local...Now there is Bank Local. According to the article, banks with more than $100B in assets accounted for 27% of small business lending while those with $10B or fewer assets accounted for 54% - demonstrating that small and ostensibly local banks support and finance local and small businesses.

Website capture of local banks near Jackson Heights.

How Economic Development Incentives Hurt Small Businesses

This piece discusses incentive programs and how many states wanted to help small businesses, but the majority of incentives went to large corporations. According to their research, large companies captured between 80 and 96 percent of these small business incentives.

ULI, HUD, ICSC Publication on Retail in Underserved Communities

In 2014, the Urban Land Institute, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) published "Retail in Underserved Communities". The publication was the result of a convening of over 30 national urban markets experts (including our own Principal Larisa Ortiz) over the course of two days. Participants offered insight into the challenges facing underserved communities and the opportunities to advance both practical and policy solutions at the local, regional and national levels.   

The basic challenges facing underserved markets are outlined nicely in the report. In addition to the lack of grocery options, underserved markets also often lack retail for convenient health care, dry cleaners, beauty salons, banking, and other neighborhood conveniences. This publication points out what we know first hand, the challenges are not simply "economic market conditions", they often reflect site specific factors such as:

• Site availability and assembly
• Local approval processes
• Matching the retailer to the market
• Inaccurate or insufficient market information

We particularly like the case studies that provide detail on the examples shared over the course of the retreat. With that, enjoy!

What does a burned out and looted CVS have to do with upward mobility?

The Baltimore riots came to be exemplified by a looted CVS 

I have been fascinated by the recent coverage of upward mobility in the New York Times ["In Climbing Income Ladder, Location Matters"]. This topic is of interest to me because our firm is often engaged in improving retail environments in under served urban communities. Consider the CVS that was looted during the recent Baltimore riots. Did you ever stop to wonder how long it took to attract a CVS pharmacy to that neighborhood? And do you think that CVS or any other retailer will be eager to return as things settle down, regardless of how much demand and need there might be? In the end, the politics of place matters quite a bit when it comes to improving the retail environment for local residents.

Neighborhood Environments Impact Outcomes
This is why I found the research that the NYTimes covered quite riveting. Two Harvard economists conducted a time series analysis on the impact of neighborhood environment on the outcomes of poor children. In short, they found that the neighborhood environment in which a child is raised is one of the most important determinants of income (by age 26). From the standpoint of a low-income family living in a low-income community and looking to meet the needs of their children TODAY, not tomorrow, the news is not good. Basically, the research suggests that mobility is the answer. Get the hell out, basically. But the authors acknowledge that this solution is not scalable, and I agree. Moving every family out of poverty stricken neighborhoods is not a long term solution. It’s a band aid fix for an intractable problem. The real problem is the quality of the neighborhood in which they live. Addressing that problem is where the future of public policy SHOULD be if we are truly interested in improving the outcomes of poor children over time.

So what kinds of neighborhoods produce better outcomes? If we can answer that question, we can begin to craft policy solutions that will support these conditions in low-income communities. The study found the following, places that had higher rates of upward mobility demonstrated five key characteristics:

- less segregation by income and race
- lower levels of income inequality
- better schools
- lower rates of violent crime, and
- a larger share of two-parent households

Policy Solutions?
According to the authors, “our findings provide support for policies that reduce segregation and concentrated poverty in cities (e.g., affordable housing subsidies or changes in zoning laws) as well as efforts to improve public schools.”

In the short term, we must, must, must find ways to do the following:

• REDUCE the concentration of poverty and INCREASE racial diversity. This means encouraging economically integrated neighborhoods by combining efforts to attract higher-income families WITHOUT involuntarily displacing existing residents. That means building – yes, building – NEW housing. This in turn means that some communities will need to be rezoned for density. But while that happens, we must ensure that existing families have the opportunity to remain as a neighborhood improves. Some potential policies include strengthening landlord-tenant laws that prevent harassment of tenants, helping tenants with the right of first refusal and provide financing to enable them to buy their properties and stay in place, and providing incentives or loans to landlords that allow them to rehab their buildings in return for maintaining affordability. These are just some interesting ideas advanced by The Center for Community Progress.
• Make these neighborhoods “communities of choice” by addressing the quality of schools, the quality of the physical environment, access and transportation to jobs, and the retail offerings and cultural amenities that make a neighborhood a compelling place to live. By doing that, we create an environment that is not only better for the people who live there, but is also attractive to people of all incomes and races who are necessary to ensure diversity.
• Reduce violent crime. The impact of crime over time on the lives of children living in a community is significant. The study found that 20 years of exposure to high violent crime rates causes a reduction in average income. Not only that, but children get caught up in crime, paying a steep price through incarceration and shortened life span. Addressing crime is critical not just for people living in a community, but its common sense that crime has a strong negative impact on people’s residential decision making. Residential sorting – where people CHOOSE to live – is directly impacted by the crime rates in a particular neighborhood. So if we are trying to reduce poverty and encourage economic integration, we have to address crime too, otherwise those with a choice to move somewhere else will do so. 

While this is only the beginning of a conversation, I am extremely hopeful that this research will drive fact-based decision making and help change the dialogue public policy dialogue. 

News round up...

Image source: Walk [Your City]

We scoured the web so you don't have to. Here are some things this week that caught our eye...

DIY Wayfinding Signs Are About to Go Mainstream

Former graduate student Matt Tomasulo began a project in Raleigh that debuted in 2012 drawing much attention for his self created signs which guided and informed citizens of Raleigh which direction and how long it would take to get to a certain destination, often noted in minutes by foot or by bike.  Now, after a Kickstarter campaign and funding from the Knight Foundation, Tomasulo's "WalkRaleigh" project is expanding in a big way.

Check out the story and see how the new "Walk [Your City]" project allows users to create signs aimed at guiding others to destinations within their city.  Signs are color coded for their type - Commercial, Public Space, Civic/Institutional , and Amusement.

The Neighborhood Has Gentrified, But Where's the Grocery Store?

Image from GOVERNING article,
credit: Shutterstock

Part of a series by GOVERNING regarding gentrification, this article covers the issue of the changing landscape and revitalization of America's downtowns, such as Cleveland, which still noticeably lack grocery options.






Urban Regeneration: What recent research says about best practices

The mid-19th Century brought declining population and disinvestment in the core areas of major American cities, many in the Rustbelt, and coincided with state and federal policies that effectively encouraged suburbinization. This post provides key findings and many potential strategies to address disinvestment and spur regeneration.

Why Are Developers Still Building Sprawl?

Image from The Atlantic article, credit: Don Graham/Flickr

The Atlantic points out that while data and feedback supports that Boomers and Millennials alike want to live in compact, walkable developments builders still are investing in sprawling suburban communities complete with even larger McMansions than before.