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The Studio Heats Up

Ideas come together as team prepares for presentation


February 4, 2007 - Intensive design and production work, along with a steady stream of visitors, defined life in the studio Sunday as the PlaceMakers team worked towards their Tuesday evening presentation and interested citizens dropped by to make sure their input was reflected.

Included in ongoing discussions was the central role of retail in long-range planning, not only as it relates to calibration of the SmartCode but for Lawrence commerce overall. Today, PlaceMaker Nathan Norris explains the firm's perspective on this important issue.

The Retail Issue: It's about right place, right scale, right rules

By Nathan Norris, Director of Implementation Advisory, PlaceMakers

Retail concerns have been a focus of placemaking efforts in Lawrence for a long time. Friday's presentation by retail consultant Rod Stevens confirmed this as he raised concerns from many different corners of the community. After listening to these concerns, we thought it would be helpful if we outlined key points that are relevant for integrating the regulation of retail into planning in Lawrence:

-- Regulating Construction of New Retail Buildings. Most communities across the country do not limit the amount of retail space that can be built. This reluctance to regulate can encourage retailers to abandon existing neighborhoods in favor of newer ones. And abandoned shopping areas contribute to the deterioration of surrounding neighborhoods. This is wasteful in many ways, not the least of which is the cost to the public in terms of infrastructure.

However, PlaceMakers recognizes the regulation of retail expansion is just one part in the overall placemaking puzzle. It must work in conjunction with other tools. And to the extent it is used, it must be combined with a regulatory system that is predictable and fair.

-- Overhauling the Regulating system. We recommend that Lawrence consider improving the current system of retail regulation to recognize the following:

  • Acknowledge that new retail is absolutely necessary in areas where new growth is permitted and in existing areas where neighborhoods need to be revitalized. You'll need that retail to fulfill the goals of mixed-use in real neighborhoods. Permitting that scale of new retail, sized and located properly to support neighborhood development and redevelopment, will have minimal impacts on existing retail.
  • Get retail numbers most people acknowledge as authoritative. Retail consultant Rod Stevens made it very clear in his presentation that achieving a more predictable and fair regulatory system will require a better understanding of exactly what's happening in your retail market. We know folks here want to engage in a vigorous discussion about what these numbers are and what they mean. So Lawrence should pay a national retail analysis firm - one totally neutral in this debate with a reputation for producing numbers on which national retailers base decisions- to produce such a report. You will pay a premium for this kind of analysis, because the firm you engage will know ahead of time that its methodology and results will be challenged by vested interests.
Absent these two key changes, Rod suggested your current system would continue to be unfair to the development community and that continued debate over existing numbers or definitions would simply be a waste of time.

-- Getting the Roads Right. Retail goes to where it is convenient for people to be. The decisions that Lawrence makes regarding the design of its street network will continue to substantially impact the viability of retail. This is why regional malls sprang up across the nation after road networks (i.e., the highways) made it easy for consumers to reach them. Easy access to the regional centers in combination with their size permitted the destruction of many neighborhood retail centers. It is imperative that Lawrence recognize that retail viability will continue to depend upon thoroughfare design decisions. We are recommending the adoption of thoroughfare standards as part of the SmartCode effort that will help support neighborhood scale retail throughout Lawrence (as opposed to the creation of regional retail centers).

-- Supporting Downtown Retail. The downtown retail area is a great asset for Lawrence, but like any retail center, the downtown will always require constant vigilance to keep it competitive. It is a large specialty center that needs to retain and enhance the tools it needs to compete with new regional lifestyle centers or specialty centers. It can do this through continued emphasis on:

  • Joint Marketing/Strategy. The businesses in this area should continue (and strengthen) their efforts to market the area as an identifiable area--- just as malls do.
  • Strong Urban Design. This area continues to be molded and strengthened (or weakened) by its design character. Having straight-forward regulations that help improve the urban design standards of the area will continue to pay dividends. Article 5 of the SmartCode can help with this effort.
  • Parking Management. Innovative parking management techniques can continue to make the downtown a success.