Build Urban, But Do It Right

is a somewhat scary piece by the editor in the trade magazine Retail Traffic. Examples given are not what I would consider "done right". E.g., Harlem USA is urban retail, but plopping a bunch of chains in a high volume place, near a great landmark--the Apollo Theater--is that really "done right?"

Photo of Harlem USA from the article "Mall City,"from the publication, Archpaper. From the article:

Harlem USA has drawn much more negative press than the Shops due to its location in an historic neighborhood. Area shop owners make the standard arguments that chains have drawn business away from mom-and-pops, and that the character of the neighborhood is suffering. Others see the development as an important step in Harlem’s economic renaissance. “Harlem USA brought customers to the neighborhood who would otherwise have shopped on 34th Street or Downtown,” said Abadan.

These are the same kinds of claims made about the forthcoming DC USA project across the street from the Columbia Heights Metro Station. People are making the same kinds of arguments, plus there is a story that is related to the DC USA project in the latest issue of DC North, "What will DC USA Mean for Mount Pleasant's Small Businesses? ."