Who’s at Risk in 2009?

28 01 2009

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According to Forbes magazine, many retailers are at risk of bankruptcy or massive closures during 2009.  These retailers may include:

  • Sears
  • Starbucks
  • The Gap
  • Eddie Bauer
  • The Cheesecake Factory

All of these are major institutions in the North American and international shopping and dining world.  Also of particular interest in the article is that 1/3 of women surveyed said that they would make no clothing purchases at all.  That’s definitely a startling statistic and makes the higher retail chains such as The Gap especially under the gun.   And while you may believe that Obama’s stimulus package may get people spending again, Howard Davidowitz, chairman of New York-based retail consultant and investment bank Davidowitz & Associates, suggests that the market bottoming out may be a better option for these retail giants.  Interesting thought, though I don’t quite buy it.   You can check out the article here


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American Suburbs Overseas

26 01 2009

I recently found an interesting article at breitbart.com detailing the continual rise of american style suburbs overseas.  The marketability of America overseas is nothing new, especially in countries such as China, yet since the recession in the 90’s, development of entire American-style suburbs has increased internationally.  In fact, in a 2006 survey of American Institute of Architects members, the number of billings for international locations has doubled in just four years.  Today, you will find suburbs with names such as Orange County in Asia, Latin America, Africa and even Eastern Europe.  Perhaps the most interesting quote in the whole article is the one from University of Michighan professor Robert Fishman who is quoted as saying that “it’s too bad that we as Americans are turning away from suburban sprawl as Asia adopts it.”  And I was always under the assumption the it was probably for the best that America turns away from the sprawl of our suburbs.   Click here to read the article in it’s entirenty.


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Lighting up our cities: not just for practicality anymore

19 01 2009

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If anyone has recently visited my current hometown of Toronto in the last two years, they would have noticed the new (and rather interesting) light show that has become the CN Tower.  The tower, once dark at night for nearly a decade, had a recent installation of several thousands LED lights creating a plethora of colour to the 1800 foot tower.  Having a view of downtown Toronto is certainly advantageous and the tower has become the new focal point for anyone fortunate to have such a view at night.

The CN Tower, however is just the latest example of how lighting and colour is beginning to be used as a way to make a city attractive and set a certain atmosphere to the streets and buildings of the urban environment.  A recent excellent article by the Christian Science Monitor details how lighting in many major cities in the world have become a sort of spectacle.  A strong example that the article uses is the Quartier des Spectacles neighbourhood in downtown Montreal.  The neighbourhood, a center of arts and culture in the great city becomes transformed at night with lighting that accents its distinct urban feel.

The prospect of adding a certain new dimension to a streetscape at night is an exciting one and could only help provide more safety to those walking around on the street at night.   You can find the excellent article by the Christian Science Monitor here.


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Light Rail Finally Becoming a Reality in Seattle

9 01 2009

If you visit the website of Sound Transit (greater Seattle’s main public transportation provider), you will notice a major announcement indicating that light rail has finally begun testing along it’s initial route between downtown Seattle and the SeaTac airport.  Expansion routes both north of downtown and east towards Bellevue will follow in the years to come.  To see an interactive map of the route, you can click here.  I for one believe this is long overdue.  Seattle may be one of North America’s largest cities without some form of faster public transit.  The city’s mass transportation system cannot simply sustain itself without something more substantial than buses within the inner city.  I will be visiting Seattle sometime later this year and look forward to seeing the progess on this exciting new development.  You can visit the Sound Transit website here.


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