So Long, Suburbia?

After enduring the first of what’s sure to be many $40 fill-ups, I almost broke down at the pump. The only thing that kept me from shedding a tear or two was the fact that the poor soul who filled up at the pump before me had a receipt of almost $83.

With insane gas prices and the housing market meltdown, something’s got to give. According to author James Kunstler in an interview with BusinessWeek, that something will be life in suburbia.

This isn’t the first time I’ve read about a return to city dwelling as people abandon long commutes in exchange for urban residences that are closer to work. While I don’t agree with Kunstler’s opinion that strip malls and big-box stores are doomed (haven’t we also heard an awful lot about people trading down from department stores to Wal-Mart?), he does pose an interesting idea about the revival of downtown commerce.

If such a revival does happen, that could mean interesting things for the world of retail design and fixturing. One of the appeals of suburban developments is that locations can be pretty much built-to-suit and modular roll outs are, well, rolled out with ease. Downtown real estate presents a plethora of challenges including aging buildings, unique footprints, and building restrictions. This means that each location needs to be carefully considered and layouts modified to fit the site’s constraints. In a nutshell, it means less cookie cutter and more custom.

I don’t know about you but I love the quirkiness of city shops, and the challenge of designing for the urban environment could mean exciting things for retail. As someone who is considering making the move from the outskirts to downtown, I’m eager to see how it all plays out. Until then, you can find me at the gas station with my fellow suburbanites, reluctantly pumping my paycheck into my gas tank.

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Editor's note: As I was typing this post, Petula Clark's "Downtown" kept running through my head. To take this post to the next level, might I suggest having this play in the background while you read.