Mixed-Use Development Plans

Costco is quietly redefining what housing at scale can look like. In Los Angeles, Costco is building an 800 unit apartment community directly on top of a new 185,000 sq ft Costco warehouse in Baldwin Village, a neighborhood where poverty rates are roughly 25% higher than the national average. This is the first project in the US to vertically stack hundreds of apartments above a full scale big-box retail store. Key facts: • 800 rental apartments above Costco on a five acre infill site • 184 units reserved for low income households • Remaining units designed as workforce & affordable housing, including Section 8 • Rooftop amenities, courtyards & family oriented design • Hundreds of new local jobs created The project is a partnership with Thrive Living and is moving forward under California’s AB 2011, which fast tracks housing heavy, mixed use developments. Why this matters: Retail lease revenue helps subsidize housing costs, reducing reliance on slow public funding. Modular construction accelerates delivery. Vertical density maximizes scarce urban land while limiting sprawl & car dependency. Costco isn’t just selling groceries, it’s testing a scalable model at the intersection of retail, housing & impact. The real question is no longer whether this works, it’s how fast it can be replicated. #HousingInnovation #AffordableHousing #UrbanPlanning #MixedUseDevelopment #RealEstateInnovation

Restoration Hardware doesn't sell furniture anymore. They sell you dinner on the couch you're about to buy. Here's why every real estate category is collapsing into itself: We're living in the era of hotel x club x residences. Rimowa cafés. Alo Yoga smoothies at Erewhon. Branded residences. The crossover mindset is everywhere: not just consumer products, but physical spaces too. This is The Everything Place. Spaces designed to be: • Retail • Hospitality • Workspace • Social hubs All at once. Not through compromise, but through intentional hybridity. Three forces got us here: 1/ The Experience Economy changed the rules: For the last century, space was defined by specialization. Retail sold. Offices worked. Then, Apple's SoHo store made retail feel like theater. W Hotels turned lobbies into destinations. Whole Foods made groceries feel like lifestyle participation. Experience and design have blurred spaces. 2/ Third Places normalized hybridity: Starbucks industrialized the Third Place: the space between home and work where civic life happens. Ace Hotel flipped it, making private space public. The lobby became a coworking hub, a social space, and a brand identity. You'll find cafés embedded in Maison Kitsuné, Ralph Lauren, and Buck Mason. Each uses caffeine to turn the brand into a hangout. 3/ COVID made it mainstream: When offices reopened, they had to outdo home. Lounge seating, wellness rooms, on-site baristas. The post-pandemic office started performing like a boutique hotel. The logic reversed across other sectors too. The Hoxton launched coworking. LifeTime added coworking. Hybrid spaces became both a cultural expectation and a business hedge. The implications for developers are massive. Spaces that can't perform multiple functions will struggle to compete on experience, brand, and storytelling. So how do you design for The Everything Place? Start with brand positioning. Aman owns bliss: that lets them hybridize across resort, residence, and members club. Equinox owns peak life performance: that lets them add retail, F&B, and hotels into the same footprint. If you're building retail that doubles as workspace with an all-day café, map each person: the remote worker, the quick chatter, the lunch-goer, the shopper, the barista: • Where do they enter? • What do they touch first? • What transitions should blend and which should mark a shift? Work backwards from experience. Start with the feeling you want people to have. Translate that into rituals. Build sensory rails around it: light, sound, scent, material. Make operations the co-author of your design. Top developers compete on storytelling, audience, and experience design rather than program mix. The real question isn't what kind of place you're building anymore. It's why someone would choose to spend their time there. Spaces that try to be just one thing will feel incomplete. Full Thesis Driven newsletter by Andrew Johnson and Jake Rynar is linked in the comments.

Must-read! Recent case study research from Simon Fraser University under supervision of Robin A. Chang, PhD. reveals new approaches to reimagining urban industrial areas as "Third Places" - spaces designed for social interaction and community building beyond work and home. The study examines three locations in Vancouver: Commissary Connect: A food business incubator functioning as a network hub, fostering a sustainable food ecosystem through shared resources, farmers markets, and community engagement programs. The Green Hub: An industrial rooftop transformation project dubbed "The Industrial Oasis," featuring community gardens, educational spaces, and recreational areas that honor False Creek's heritage while promoting environmental sustainability. Pop-Up Exchange: A dynamic community space hosting Repair Cafés and Mobile Makerspaces, demonstrating how temporary interventions can create lasting social impact in industrial zones. Key Success Factors: - Community involvement in planning processes - Integration of historical elements celebrating industrial heritage - Flexible space design accommodating diverse activities - Enhanced connectivity with existing public spaces - Shifting perceptions about industrial areas' compatibility with sustainability These case studies demonstrate that industrial areas can evolve beyond their traditional roles while maintaining their economic function. Through strategic placemaking, these spaces can become valuable community assets that support both business innovation and social cohesion. #UrbanPlanning #Sustainability #CommunityDevelopment #IndustrialInnovation #Placemaking #Vancouver #ThirdPlaces #UrbanDesign

For years, the stretch of downtown outlined here has been dominated by a collection of city offices and agencies. City Hall functions, the Police Academy, SLDC, and several other departments fill nearly every building in this zone. It sits in one of the most valuable and strategically located areas in the entire city, positioned directly between two major activity anchors: Ballpark Village and Busch Stadium to the east, and Union Station and CITYPARK to the west. Right in the center of it all are Enterprise Center and Stifel Theatre, two major venues that should naturally generate pre- and post-event foot traffic. The problem is that they are effectively surrounded by government-only uses. That limits retail, food, entertainment, and street-level activity during the hours when these venues could benefit the most. A stronger long-term vision would be to package this entire area into a redevelopment RFP and relocate the government functions into the Railway Exchange Building. The building is large enough to accommodate every office currently on this government row. The first three to four floors could be converted to structured parking, and the remaining floors could be reconfigured to house all related departments in a single, modernized civic hub. This approach creates two major wins. It activates the Railway Exchange Building with thousands of daily users, giving that historic structure a sustainable new life. And it frees up a critically located corridor along Clark Street to become a true entertainment district connecting Ballpark Village, Busch Stadium, Enterprise Center, Union Station, and CITYPARK. The development potential here is enormous; restaurants, retail, residential, hospitality, and public spaces that knit together several of the city’s strongest destinations.

🏭How can architecture help in building the city? 🔗In the evolution of modern cities, true development involves not just spatial expansion, but redefining connectivity. 🌿The Hangzhou-Deqing intercity rail forms a critical “C-shaped corridor,” which we have transformed from a mere commuting route into a lifeline that restructures urban frameworks, integrates natural landscapes, and energizes regional growth. Along it, four TOD zones, are emerging as experimental grounds that collectively explore new paradigms for future urban living. The Dixin Town station represents the most forward-looking practice, where architecture and space redefine the possibilities of urban life. 👀Respond to the residence and experience The design emphasizes "vibrant living blocks" by breaking down large blocks, increasing street density, and optimizing pedestrian systems to create walkable, human-scale streets. Ground-floor spaces actively incorporate commercial and cultural functions, forming continuous public interfaces that enhance community interaction and belonging. Flexible spatial products are provided to support businesses throughout their lifecycle, fostering synergy between industry and urban growth. 🗯️Interconnects urban functions  The "mixed-use core" achieves vertical integration above the rail depot, combining transportation, parking, parks, and offices into a highly efficient urban node. The "networking platform" uses elevated corridors to connect different plots, forming a 24/7 open public layer that encourages interaction among enterprises, people, and nature, thereby sparking innovation. 🌳Co-create with Nature and Ecology The "TOD Shared Ecological Corridor" weaves together east-west green axes and north-south urban vitality corridors, with vertical greening, rooftop gardens, pocket parks, and water systems forming a multi-layered green network. Four north-south water corridors are introduced to leverage southeastern winds, facilitating local circulation, mitigating the heat island effect, and creating a resilient, low-carbon microclimate for a nature-immersive ecological experience. 💡As an architect and city enthusiast, I find this project profoundly inspiring. It goes beyond urban planning—embodies a new interpretation of "urban life." #architecturedesign #urbandesign #nature #mixeduse #tod

The conversion of office spaces into mixed use buildings with a strong residential element is an essential strategy to not just create more vitality in any urban center in the U.S. but it's also required to create more critically needed housing options across the whole socio-economic spectrum of urban residents. Chicago can and should be a pioneer in this massive building conversion initiative that the recently approved "LaSalle Street Reimagined" initiative is focused on. The Wall Street Journal reporter Peter Grant stresses an important advantage for Chicago's downtown when he writes: "Chicago is fortunate in having many buildings developed before World War II that have the right design for conversions. Many of these properties currently face financial distress, but those problems could pave the way for conversions. Their eventual resolution will likely involve a new owner paying a discounted price, which would make a conversion more financially viable." Chicago's conversion strategy, now led by our outstanding Planning Commissioner, Ciere Boatright, could be a role model for other cities in the U.S. , since the private/public initiative will create over 1,000 apartment units with one third classified as affordable. Chicago can reimagine its downtown core as the most inclusive urban core in the U.S., if we continue executing and broadening this private/public partnership approach.

Could large shopping centres become dynamic, vibrant, mixed-use, live-work communities in the future? Well, possibly if they reinvent themselves like this. While the focus for significant, high-density, mixed-use development will continue to be in town and city centres for the foreseeable future, challenges lie ahead: ⏺️ Our population continues to increase, and our housing crisis grows worse. ⏺️ Development of greenfield and greenbelt land becomes ever more restrictive as urban sprawl is increasingly considered wasteful, inefficient, and unsustainable. ⏺️ The classic shopping mall has been in decline for years as the shopping experience continues to diversify and evolve. Large shopping malls, because of their location, parcel size, ownership structure, and existing infrastructure networks, could offer great opportunities to be transformed into higher-density, mixed-use developments. There are significant benefits and advantages to be gained from doing this: 1️⃣ Mixing Uses: An overabundance of retail space can be rebalanced or replaced by integrating residential, commercial, and recreational spaces to create a more dynamic and lively environment for people to live, work, and play. 2️⃣ Leverage Existing Infrastructure & Transport Networks: Large shopping centres usually have a significant infrastructure network already in place, including utilities, roads, and public transport systems. Meadowhall, for example, already has its own train and bus stations, a Supertram stop, an extensive road network, and is close to the M1. 3️⃣ Accessibility: Large shopping centres are usually built in extremely accessible locations, so they can be easily reached by millions of people travelling by various means. 4️⃣ Transformation Into An Urban Centre: Large shopping centres are usually surrounded by vast parking lots, which can offer great potential for high-density development. They can be repurposed with perimeter blocks or built on top of, retaining some or all of the parking. This allows significant additional development to be delivered on the site and achieves a much better urban fabric. 5️⃣ More Open Space: These can be provided by weaving plazas, playgrounds, and squares around the existing building. 6️⃣ Sustainable Development: Adding more uses increases site density and efficiency. Retrofitting can contribute to environmental sustainability by repurposing an existing structure rather than constructing new ones. 7️⃣ Convenience & Accessibility: Incorporating a variety of uses and amenities will offer convenience and accessibility to users and residents. 8️⃣ Meeting The Needs Of Future Generations: Many large shopping centres are flexible structures that could be repurposed to suit the changing lifestyles and trends of the future. So the range of possibilities for reimagining shopping malls is vast, and with the right vision, there are few limits to how shopping centres and malls may be transformed in the future.

Most cities struggle to balance growth with affordability. Atlanta found a way to do both. The BeltLine was once nothing more than abandoned rail lines and overgrown lots—a forgotten relic of Atlanta’s industrial past. But a bold vision turned those old tracks into a 22-mile loop of trails, parks, and development that’s now the heartbeat of the city. It’s a story of what happens when developers, city planners, and communities work together—and what the future of urban revitalization could look like. 🚶 It started with walkability and public space. Before the BeltLine became a real estate hot spot, it was an idea to reconnect the city. The first major investment wasn’t luxury condos—it was parks, trails, and green spaces that made Atlanta more livable and accessible for everyone. 🏗️ Developers followed the momentum. Once people saw the potential, private investment poured in. Abandoned warehouses turned into modern lofts, neglected lots became mixed-use developments, and entire districts—like Ponce City Market and Krog Street—were revitalized into thriving community hubs. 💡 The community played a key role in shaping the vision. The BeltLine didn’t just attract developers—it engaged residents, local businesses, and artists. Public art installations, small business grants, and affordable housing incentives ensured that longtime Atlantans could benefit from the transformation. 📈 It boosted property values while prioritizing inclusivity. Real estate near the BeltLine surged in value, bringing in new investment. But city planners worked to ensure affordable housing remained part of the equation, with dedicated funding for mixed-income developments and protections for legacy residents. What cities and developers can learn from the BeltLine: 🌳 Public infrastructure drives private investment. Walkability, parks, and green space increase real estate value and make neighborhoods more desirable. 🏡 Balanced growth is possible. When developers and policymakers collaborate, cities can grow without displacing communities. 📍 Mixed-use is the future. The best developments integrate housing, retail, culture, and public space into one seamless experience. The BeltLine proves that real estate isn’t just about buildings—it’s about creating places where people want to live, work, and connect. When cities and developers think long-term, everyone benefits. — Thank you for reading! More about me: Over the past 6 years, I've worked on dozens of commercial real estate acquisitions, from beginner developer's first deals to institutional portfolio acquisitions of $100M+. If you liked my content on commercial real estate, entrepreneurship, and personal growth, connect with me for more! #RealEstateDevelopment #UrbanRevitalization #AtlantaBeltLine #Placemaking #CommercialRealEstate

The modular nature of Dutch streets—the precast bricks, pavers, and curbs—transforms every infrastructural upgrade into an opportunity for a liveability upgrade. In Delft, scheduled sewage pipe replacement on Eliza Dorus- and Anna Beijer-straten allowed for the creation of woonerven ("living streets"). They consist of five features: 1) A clear and distinct entranceway—such as a speed hump—providing a sense of leaving car space. Out-of-scale signage is discouraged, seen as clutter to the streetscape, and replaced with design elements that emphasize the space is for people rather than motor traffic. 2) Shared space between cars and pedestrians: With no clearly defined vertical separation or "travel lane", forced ambiguity between walking, cycling, and driving is critical to slowing drivers and cyclists down, and giving people on foot—especially kids—free reign to move (and linger) in the space. 3) Physical traffic calming measures: These include width reduction, speed humps, raised intersections, chicanes, one-way features, and texture change. Bricks are ubiquitous, as they create noise and vibration inside a car, leading the driver to believe they're speeding and voluntarily slowing down. 4) Limited on-street parking: Availability should be limited and only to local residents. This helps to restore the sightlines and “openness” of the street, inspiring free movement across its entire width for playing and gathering residents, and preventing cars from becoming the predominant element. 5) Outdoor furniture and landscaping: These elements should be used to make the street more attractive; reclaiming it as a space for spending time. This includes trees and gardens, sitting areas, play equipment, and places for communal dining. Visible and secure bike parking should also be provided. Made in Delft and spreading across the globe, the woonerf is a simple solution to many complex problems cities face in the 21st century. Our streets are not set in stone, and from the loneliness epidemic to the climate crisis, changing them must be how we respond to a world rapidly changing around us.

Others See Crisis & Regional Tension — Dubai Sees a Window to Build What the Future Dubai has launched “Dubai Walk” — a 6,000 km pedestrian network. This is not urban planning. This is value creation at national scale. What looks like a mobility upgrade… …is actually a multi-variable economic system engineered into the city. The Scale (Put Into Perspective) By 2040, Dubai will deliver: • 6,000 km of walkable pathways across 160 areas • Integrated cycling, transit, and commercial corridors • Seamless connectivity across residential, retail, and tourism districts Phase 1 — Historic Al Ras: • 12 km pedestrian walkways • 5 km cycling tracks To contextualize: • 6,000 km = distance from Dubai to London • One of the most ambitious pedestrian programs globally This enables Dubai to activate entire districts economically continuously in real time. The Core Economic Principle Modern cities don’t compete on land. They compete on value generated per square meter per hour. Walkability maximizes that by increasing: • Footfall density • Dwell time • Interaction frequency • Street-level economic activity When movement slows down, value capture increases. The Tourism Multiplier Dubai already operates at global scale: • 19.59 million overnight visitors in 2025 • UAE tourism contributes AED 257.3B (13% of GDP) Walkability compounds this by: • Extending stay duration • Increasing spend across F&B, retail, and experiences • Expanding tourism into entire districts A shift toward a year-round, city-wide experience economy Real Estate & Capital Flows Walkability drives: • Higher land productivity • Stronger pricing power • Increased institutional demand for mixed-use ecosystems Global capital is moving toward: → Live → Work → Walk environments Global Benchmarking Cities like London, Paris, and Singapore have built strong walkable systems. But they evolved over decades. Dubai is deploying it at scale, by design, within one strategic timeline. Productivity, Health & Time Economics Walkable cities optimize time: • Less friction • More interaction cycles • Higher urban efficiency At the same time: • Physical inactivity is projected to cost $300B globally (2020–2030) Walkability is preventive economic policy embedded into infrastructure System Integration Dubai Walk is part of a larger system: • Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan • D33 Economic Agenda (AED 32T target) • Integrated transport + smart infrastructure A fully integrated urban operating system. At full scale, Dubai Walk turns every district into a high-frequency economic zone where value is generated not annually, but every minute. The Bigger Picture It converts movement into monetization. More steps → more stops More stops → more interaction More interaction → more economic output In most cities, walkability improves lifestyle. In Dubai, it powers the economy. Because here, the future of cities isn’t defined by distance… but by the value created in every step forward.