National retail chains can hardly lead a re-imaging of the city, any more than bars and clubs, and especially not hotels with their ever expanding demand for publicly supported convention centers, stadiums and arenas to fill their rooms.  Likewise, chain stores occupying the latest version of an urban mall, once considered to be the panacea of an up and coming city, are now so risk adverse that they have long lost any real interest in downtown locations other than a handful of the most vibrant cities.

Suburban Malls

Suburban malls are all looking more than a little tired and desperate as they reach middle age without a clue on how to turn it around.  This is because the national chain stores, not shops, have lost all meaningful connection with their consumers, let alone their communities.  Most importantly, the consumer suffers from fatigue and overload after decades of consumption to only wake up with a post boom hang over to find home value significantly lower than a year ago and devalued 401K plans.

New Town Centers

New Main Street Themed Centers have done a good job of jettisoning the ubiquitous department store but have ultimately failed with their thinly veiled attempts at re-creation of real community and their almost clinical approach of merchandising with a store selection as original as a mall from twenty years ago, less the department store and the wise addition of restaurants.  But in almost every case the main street projects lack places of discovery, cultural production and any real original content.  But the day of reckoning may have arrived.  Suffering from almost two decades of overbuilding and a retail industry that has truly evolved to a commodity business, retail has become essentially a business of the most efficient means of distribution to the consumer at the lowest possible price.  In this context, the fountains, clock towers, and pubic greens only create a cost disadvantage over other channels.