Case Study: The City Of The Seminole Mall

1. Imagine yourself as the manager of a struggling local suburban regional shopping mall. What do you think the mall should do to improve its performance?

Florida, CityLab Richard. “This Is What Happens After a Neighborhood Gets Gentrified.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 16 Sept. 2015,

Woodlawn and Washington Park lack commercial vitality likely due to the low and declining residential density and the lack of disposable income needed to support retail development. Businesses in Woodlawn and Washington Park largely cluster along the neighborhoods’ commercial corridor with prime access to the CTA’s Green line Stations and are characterized by low sales volume and not much diversity. With large concentrations of vacant land and a lack of neighborhood amenities both neighborhoods will have an uphill struggle to start growing the residential base if done in isolation from UChicago and other non-profit and public partners.

By lowering the property values of the buildings it could cause new businesses want to move into the new building. The Mayor could also give discounts to their taxes.

In regards to the city of Dallas, we have a population demographic projection of “4,722,317” people as of 2015, and that has risen to “4,830,544” as of 2016 (Texas Department of Health Services, 2014). So, at times the city of Dallas can be a little crowded. Nevertheless, the city of Dallas much like any metropolitan area has a major concern revolving around urban sprawling, as the nearest grocery store (like Walmart) is about 15 (+) mins away from my current residence. In addition, community centers for kids and adults are drastically lacking here, but the concerns around road development and expanding the housing community are pressing forward with no apprehension. These issues that I have listed opens my community to problems like gangs, drinking and driving, assault.

According to Bowman and Kearney, economic development is the “process by which a community, state, or nation increases its level of per capita income, high-quality jobs, and capital investment (Bowman & Kearney, 2014, p. 370). Throughout our readings, it is presented that economic development exists because of the gradual decline of our metropolitans. More recently, it’s been explained that economic development has become a local issue that localities are attempting to resolve due to the stale mate federal government and partly the Great Recession, and doing this with a deteriorating tax base in the form of population and jobs which increase the deteriorating infrastructure.

N.S. participated in 1-hour shopping excursion at the Holyoke Mall. During the trip, she was required to use the brochure map of the mall in order to navigate throughout the mall. N.S. displayed adverse behavior (crying, sad, expression, not answering questions, walking slowly and away from the group, not making decision with peer) during the beginning of the trip however became cooperative overtime. When given the map to choose a location, N.S. would refuse to hold the map or would choose a place she was familiar with. N.S. would also look for ways to get out of choosing from the map such as walking away or stating she had already chosen a location. While ordering food, N.S. was able to complete order will min. verbal prompting and visually

Another tool that can be used to stimulate development and has been proven successful when implemented in the correct situation, is the use of tax-increment financing (TIF). The basic concept is to divert future property tax revenue increases from a region or a development to a fund that can be used to finance construction or renovation projects. For TIF’s to be successful sources of funding, “the TIF financing mechanism is purposefully designed to help raise property values” (Greenbaum, 2014). As a result, this method of financing is most beneficial in areas that are run down and would otherwise be left undeveloped. The Stapleton Colorado redevelopment is an example of how this strategy can be used to help finance the construction of communities that provide housing for all income levels. Through the use of $462 million dollars in TIF funds, the Denver Urban Renewal Authority (DURA) has helped finance the conversion of the old Stapleton Airport site into over 12,000 affordable residential units (RenewDenver.org, nd.). While controversial, TIF financing has proven to be effective when used correctly. For this reason, it should be considered as an option for funding affordable housing, especially in blighted areas or those that would otherwise be left undeveloped.

In class, we have discussed the challenges that are faced by economic development planners. SWOT analysis must be continuously updated as conditions change in the city and region. Economic development planners must be aware of what skills and education local citizens have so that sustained development can occur without wasting tax payer funds. In the case of Salt Lake City, planners have ben able to leverage the skilled workforce being educated at institutions like Brigham Young University (BYU) and the University of Utah, to attract high-tech jobs. While the federal government has abandoned federal economic development programs, it is still an essential element for states and cities who wish to see continued health and development. A variety of programs, including property tax incentives and focusing on educating, attracting and retaining highly skilled workers through high quality-of-life programs, are essential in the globalized, highly competitive economy. Contemporary Urban Planning notes that “economic competition has grown more intense since the 1980s”. Globalization and increased competition for jobs, means that states and cities must always be working to attract and retain businesses in the face of stiff competition from around the

Urban areas have seen a population explosion that has created a sharp demand for housing and office space. As cities develop quickly to accommodate the influx in population, they are poorly planned leading to the creation of small, underused, and vacant, land parcels as well as old abandoned, dilapidated buildings. One impact investing solution for this problem is infill development. This is the creation of efficiencies through strategic optimization of infrastructure and land use by incorporating public services (Trinidad). Such an investment not only provides affordable social and economic services to city dwellers, but also creates employment and boosts the aesthetic appeal of the urban landscape.

In recent years, people who want to be close to downtown Tampa without living in the city have taken a serious look at the city of Brandon. This town has undergone enormous growth over the years. Real Estate prices in Brandon are lower than Tampa, but lack nothing in the way of amenities. There are many new neighborhoods, and communities with homes to fit every lifestyle. Large family homes, new construction, condominiums, and apartment living. These homes come complete with modern architecture, upgraded kitchen and baths and swimming pools. The growth in homes in Brandon has led to new schools and ample shopping. State Road 60 is filled with tasty dining, chain stores, home improvement warehouses and shopping plazas.

Thank you for your email, I really appreciate you taking the time to explain the reasoning why you are choosing not to advertise in Explore Downtown. So many times we find out issues “through the grape vine” and often it’s to late to handle them properly. I truly value all the support you give to DTSF.

However, given the recent circumstances, it is difficult for the city to maintain capital improvements and develop new programming without additional funding. To maintain a lower millage rate for future years, further investigation should be done in reducing urban blight and increasing property values within the city in its comprehensive strategic

In Miami, the South Beach Mall is known to have a big amount of visitors. It is a very crowded place with hardly any space. Packed hallways and crowed store which are filled with people. My experience there will help me explain how populated the mall was during that time. During its busiest time of the year it is outrageous.

Oglethorpe Mall Shopping Center is located on the southside of Savannah, Georgia. It opened in 1969 and features 150 stores and services. You'll find this super regional shopping center has a lot of common named businesses, like JCPenney, Macy's, Sears, and Barnes and Noble. In town, there's a few points of interest, including Wormsloe Historic Site (ruins of an old manor house and plantation field), Hao Mongolian Grill (have you ever tried Mongolian food before?) as well as Spanky's Pizza Galley and Saloon, creating traditional hearty comfort foods like hamburgers, plates of bread and cheese, pizza, as well as a veggie sandwich. They also deliver! For some awesome local entertainment, hop on over to The Wormhole Music Club and Bar, where you'll