Why the micro climate and moveable furniture matter.
A stinking hot day in NYC at Citizens next to Hudson Yards. In this public space people are only sitting in the shade. If the seats were fixed and in the sun what would this mean to visitation, retail sales and property values? #experienceeconomy #urbandesigners #retailproperty #propertydevelopments #buildingarchitecture #landscapearchitects #urbanrenewal #architecturaldesigns #urbanspaces #propertybusiness #urbandevelopment #urbandetails #propertydevelopers #propertyconsultant #realestateadvisor #urbanspace #placemaking #allthingsrealestate #beautifulbuildings #urbanlifestyle #realestatedeveloper #urbanarchitecture #propertydeveloper #urbanplanning #architecturedetail #realestatedevelopment #architecturedetails #urbanscape #landscapearchitecture
Beautiful Does Not Guarantee Success in Retail & Ground Plane Projects
Likewise gritty and messy won't mean failure. To often I work across projects where the architects and design team believe that if the retail and ground plane is "beautiful" then it will be successful. There are just too many examples where the opposite is true. Retail and ground planes are complex ecosystems. For successful retail property and ground planes many more layers than just design aesthetics are at play. The mix of uses, the quality of traders, population density, size of tenancies, demographics, micro climate, functional design, ownership structure, connectivity, needs of the community, local authorities, labour market, tax systems, competition etc. It is "NOT BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME"
In many cases the ground plane may need to feel messy, gritty and "a little bit sh#ty". Ask yourself is the local community looking for "beautiful" or are they looking for something more eclectic and diverse that meets their needs and aspirations resulting in increased visitation & sales.
This theme was very prevalent on a recent trip I had to Tokyo. Many of the lanes and back streets evolved in the post World War II bombed out Tokyo. There was a lack of a planning system and these lanes and streets "Yokochos" evolved organically to meet the needs of the community. Today many of these lanes are retail, and bar & dining precincts. While these lanes are incredibly clean they are not what many people or architects associate as "beautiful". They are eclectic, diverse, messy AND successful. Some modern projects are now imitating these lanes with success.
#experienceeconomy #urbandesigners #retailproperty #propertydevelopments #buildingarchitecture #landscapearchitects #urbanrenewal #architecturaldesigns #urbanspaces #propertybusiness #urbandevelopment #urbandetails #cityplanning #propertydevelopers #propertyconsultant #realestateadvisor #urbanspace #placemaking #allthingsrealestate #urbanlifestyle #realestatedeveloper #urbanarchitecture #propertydeveloper #urbanplanning #architecturedetail #realestatedevelopment #architecturedetails #urbanscape #landscapearchitecture
Lessons from Japanese Yokocho for Food Courts?
Yokochos are Japanese alleys typically located near train stations. The businesses are usually micro bars (izakayas) and micro restaurants. In recent years there have been a couple of modern interpretations of these Yokochos been delivered in Tokyo at the base of new developments. While not having the heritage of original post war Yokochos they have adopted many of the same principles and character albeit in an internal structure. Long and narrow, small tenancies, a messy shamble , super compressed, eclectic, and "touts" trying to get your custom. One of these recent projects is about 100m long by 10m wide that still manages to accomodate 1200 seats and 20 traders. The base build is very basic and raw. Each trader has about 40-45 sqm for their kitchen, storage and seating. It is chaotic and compressed but enormously vibrant and buzzy and targeted at a younger crowd. In an age where construction and project costs are rising, and inputs costs for food businesses increasing putting pressure on rents, are there lessons that could be applied to some developments in Australia to improve the commercial viability of projects while delivering a new "food court" model?
#experienceeconomy #urbandesigners #retailproperty #propertydevelopments #buildingarchitecture #landscapearchitects #urbanrenewal #architecturaldesigns #urbanspaces #propertybusiness #urbandevelopment #urbandetails #cityplanning #propertydevelopers #propertyconsultant #realestateadvisor #urbanspace #placemaking #allthingsrealestate #beautifulbuildings #urbanlifestyle #realestatedeveloper #urbanarchitecture #propertydeveloper #urbanplanning #architecturedetail #realestatedevelopment #architecturedetails #urbanscape #landscapearchitecture
Tokyo retail study tour in June 2023. The attention to detail by retailers in Tokyo is mind blowing, as is the diversity and contrasting retail themes and experiences. This cafe, located below a railway line demonstrates their brilliant use of often neglected spaces in countries with less demand on land. While the "faux" cafe to some may look naff, in this small precinct development under the railway lines with other F&B and bookshop it was brilliantly executed. It is very aligned with the aspirations of this affluent NakaMeguro area of Tokyo.
(As I was framing this image the school children were walking then they suddenly ran to catch the pedestrian lights giving the image a little beneficial movement/blur)
#experienceeconomy #urbandesigners #retailproperty #propertydevelopments #buildingarchitecture #landscapearchitects #urbanrenewal #architecturaldesigns #urbanspaces #propertybusiness #urbandevelopment #urbandetails #cityplanning #propertydevelopers #propertyconsultant #realestateadvisor #urbanspace #placemaking #allthingsrealestate #beautifulbuildings #urbanlifestyle #realestatedeveloper #urbanarchitecture #propertydeveloper #urbanplanning #architecturedetail #realestatedevelopment #architecturedetails #urbanscape #landscapearchitecture
Why flexible furniture is good for asset values.
Last week when I walked through this public space on a cool Autumn day in Sydney I noticed this activity. People had moved the flexible public furniture into the sun to have their lunch alone, and with friends. This flexibility improved solar access, which increases human comfort, hence increasing visitation & vibrancy, which then attracts even more people, increasing passive surveillance, reducing crime, increasing visitation again, increasing retail expenditure, increasing rents and then asset values.
Given the expenditure on landscape design and construction of public spaces, and the need to get a better social and economic return shouldn't flexible furniture play a critical element of all public and privately owned public space design?
#experienceeconomy #urbandesigners #retailproperty #propertydevelopments #buildingarchitecture #landscapearchitects #urbanrenewal #architecturaldesigns #urbanspaces #propertybusiness #urbandevelopment #urbandetails #propertydevelopers #propertyconsultant #realestateadvisor #urbanspace #placemaking #allthingsrealestate #beautifulbuildings #urbanlifestyle #realestatedeveloper #urbanarchitecture #propertydeveloper #urbanplanning #architecturedetail #realestatedevelopment #architecturedetails #urbanscape #landscapearchitecture
The annual mothers day plug for my wife's Hybernate sleepwear retail business. Friends have told me that their wives have said "this is the best present you have ever given me" They are offering free gift wrapping and free upgrade to EXPRESS POST shipping (ends Tuesday). .au
If the Eyes Can't See It - The Feet Keep Walking
Retail is detail. While shopfronts being set back from the boundary behind columns would have seemed fine in plane in reality it is different. This ground plane fails on a couple of fronts for retail. 1 - Visual connectivity - shop fronts can't be seen impacted visitation and sales. When retailers work on tight margins every sale matters. 2 - Compression - successful retail streets have typically have footpaths width between 3.5-4.5 metres subject to uses. Wider than this creates a large sense of space that feel empty and detracting from human experience and then sales. better to be too small than too big. 3 - Eclecticism and diversity of experience. The inability to see the shopfront and signage reduces the diversity of the street experience. This will impact visitation, sales and rents
#experienceeconomy #urbandesigners #retailproperty #propertydevelopments #buildingarchitecture #landscapearchitects #urbanrenewal #architecturaldesigns #urbanspaces #propertybusiness #urbandevelopment #urbandetails #cityplanning #propertydevelopers #propertyconsultant #realestateadvisor #urbanspace #placemaking #allthingsrealestate #beautifulbuildings #urbanlifestyle #realestatedeveloper #urbanarchitecture #propertydeveloper #urbanplanning #architecturedetail #realestatedevelopment #architecturedetails #urbanscape #landscapearchitecture
The Importance of Getting the Details Right for a Contemporary Retail Laneway
I recently visited a mixed use retail laneway in Canberra. There was significant vacancy and a lack of people. While you can tell there was a great vision and aspiration for a retail laneway, this vision was lost in the design and execution.
The arrival experience is from the carpark via the lift into a dark large undercroft area. The arrival from the street feels like entering a loading dock rather than an urban laneway.
There is too much space. The lane is 18m wide. The often referenced Melbourne laneways are 4-7m wide. Many high street are 20m wide shop to shop. This lack of compression detracts from an authentic laneway.
Many of the shopfronts are set back behind columns/blades or large planter boxes. Visual connectivity is essential for successful retail.
The large planter boxes inhibit visual and physical connectivity between shop fronts. The journey between shopfronts must be easy to facilitate cross shopping and impulse visitation.
Their is a lack of diversity and eclecticism. While use of cobble stones is great, in other areas concrete planter boxes and bollard, and glass shop fronts dominate the place experience.
Lack of contiguous shopfronts. Inhibiting flexibility, connectivity and ease of shopping.
While there were some interesting features such as the cafe in the internal courtyard are great, the overall experience is of an laneway that feels inauthentic. While many elements contribute to the success or failure of retail, this project did not create a great retail laneway to maximise the potential.
#experienceeconomy #urbandesigners #retailproperty #propertydevelopments #buildingarchitecture #landscapearchitects #urbanrenewal #architecturaldesigns #urbanspaces #propertybusiness #urbandevelopment #urbandetails #cityplanning #propertydevelopers #propertyconsultant #realestateadvisor #urbanspace #placemaking #allthingsrealestate #beautifulbuildings #urbanlifestyle #realestatedeveloper #urbanarchitecture #propertydeveloper #urbanplanning #architecturedetail #realestatedevelopment #architecturedetails #urbanscape #landscapearchitecture
Why "a little bit of s#*t" can be great for retail.
Why is it that often older "sh#@tier " presenting retail precincts and streets do so much better than brand new "architecturally designed" retail precincts?
The success of a retail precinct is influenced by a variety of factors, including design, tenant mix, foot traffic, visual appeal, place management, connectivity, and economic viability. However, one important aspect that contributes to the success of a retail precinct is diversity and eclecticism.
Many new retail precincts tend to feel corporate and contrived. The design team have tried to design every inch and touch point of experience. These new retail precincts often lack the sense of ownership and personality that comes from the community and the individual retailers. To create a successful retail precinct, it's important for the design team to "let go of some control" and allow traders and the community to contribute more to the place experience. This can result in a space that feels like it has evolved more organically. It feels more authentic, leading to increased visitation and retail spend.
Elements that may contribute to a more authentic ground plane experience could include
retailer owned and managed pot plants vs concrete planter beds, moveable furniture selected by the retailer vs fixed furniture selected by the design team, a diverse range of retractable canvas awnings vs fixed awnings, and diversified shopfronts with less glass are more likely to engender a better emotional response from the community driving increased visitation, retail spend and ultimately property values
Overall, creating a successful retail precinct requires a delicate balance between planning and curation, allowing for both the design team's input and the essential input from trader ownership and creativity.
A "designed" forecourt public space at a hospital and health precinct in Northern Sydney.
It is clear that the design of public spaces and "ground planes" in health and office precincts can have a significant impact on the well-being and productivity of staff. Poorly designed spaces can contribute to stress and burnout, which in turn can result in absenteeism, staff turnover, and reduced quality of care. Research undertaken in the US has estimated that hospital physician burnout is costing the American health system $7000 USD per physician per annum. This excludes any direct impacts on provision of health care.
By contrast, well-designed public spaces that take into account the microclimate, retail amenity, moveable furniture, and landscaping can provide opportunities for people to meet, congregate, re-energize, and share knowledge. Such spaces tend to attract people from the surrounding community, support more retail, and can contribute to improving community health, mental health and well-being of staff, which in turn can lead to reduced stress and burnout, increased productivity, and improved quality of care.
Given the scarcity of land and the costs of delivering large health projects, it is important to consider the potential social, economic and health benefits benefits of well-designed and curated ground planes in health and office precincts. Progressive groups such as Health Infrastructure NSW have recognised the importance of these issues and are working to develop more progressive strategies that incorporate them into the planning of new projects.
#experienceeconomy #urbandesigners #retailproperty #propertydevelopments #buildingarchitecture #landscapearchitects #urbanrenewal #architecturaldesigns #urbanspaces #propertybusiness #urbandevelopment #cityplanning #propertydevelopers #propertyconsultant #realestateadvisor #urbanspace #placemaking #allthingsrealestate #urbanlifestyle #realestatedeveloper #urbanarchitecture #propertydeveloper #urbanplanning #realestatedevelopment #urbanscape #hospitalplacemaking #NSWhealth #hospitalretail #health #healthcare
Image no.2 courtesy of Aspect Studios
Retail is detail and it’s why Merivale is one of the world great hospitality groups. An arrival experience based on a flexible approach where the pots and shopfront can be curated to the strategy at the time. Ability to maintain a fresh and new arrival experience. #experienceeconomy #urbandesigners #retailproperty #propertydevelopments #buildingarchitecture #propertyadvice #landscapearchitects #urbanrenewal #architecturaldesigns #urbanspaces #propertybusiness #urbandevelopment #urbandetails #cityplanning #propertydevelopers #propertyconsultant #realestateadvisor #urbanspace #placemaking #allthingsrealestate #beautifulbuildings #urbanlifestyle #realestatedeveloper #urbanarchitecture #propertydeveloper #architecturedetail #realestatedevelopment #architecturedetails #urbanscape #landscapearchitecture
Retail is Detail. Why are small details important? Because many of them combined enhance the experience driving emotional connections, increasing visitation, sales, rents and values. In true value engineering on projects what is the real cost of cutting on the landscape budget? Even when the pot-plants like these could do with a water the ground plane and retail arrival experience is less homogenised, less corporate, more eclectic - much better. #experienceeconomy #urbandesigners #retailproperty #propertydevelopments #buildingarchitecture #propertyadvice #landscapearchitects #urbanrenewal #architecturaldesigns #urbanspaces #propertybusiness #urbandevelopment #urbandetails #cityplanning #propertydevelopers #propertyconsultant #realestateadvisor #urbanspace #placemaking #allthingsrealestate #urbanlifestyle #realestatedeveloper #urbanarchitecture #propertydeveloper #urbanplanning #architecturedetail #realestatedevelopment #architecturedetails #urbanscape #landscapearchitecture
