Strategies for Revitalizing Urban Empty Spaces

When your downtown is filled with empty and blighted buildings, focusing on recruiting businesses is a waste of time and energy. It’s not going to work. Too many communities waste valauble resources trying to attract businesses to districts that are visibly failing. The truth is, no one wants to start a thriving business in a space that screams neglect. Think about it. What kind of entrepreneur is seeking our poorly maintained space? Not the one with a strong, well-thought-out business plan or a vision for success. These spaces often attract businesses that can survive in subpar conditions—businesses that may not add much value to the district. Worse, they perpetuate a sense of decline, discouraging the very kinds of businesses and customers you want to see downtown. Stop chasing after businesses and start addressing the real problem: the physical environment. People are drawn to places that feel welcoming and vibrant, and businesses follow people. A run-down downtown doesn’t attract people. It repels them. Until your district feels alive, inviting, and well-maintained, recruiting quality businesses will remain a futile effort. The public realm—the streets, sidewalks, parks, and plazas—is the foundation of any successful downtown. If your sidewalks are cracked, your lighting is dim, and your streets are cluttered with trash, you’re sending a clear message: this place doesn’t care about itself. People don’t linger in spaces that feel unsafe or uninviting, and businesses won’t succeed in areas that people avoid. Invest in beautifying the public realm. Clean up the streets. Plant trees. Add seating, bike racks, and art installations. Make sure your downtown is walkable, accessible, and attractive. When people start spending time there, businesses will have a reason to follow. Empty buildings are a cancer to any downtown. They’re a visible sign of failure, discouraging investment and dragging down the entire district. You can’t ignore them if you want to create a thriving downtown. Enforce property maintenance codes to prevent further decline. Implement vacant property registration programs to hold absentee landlords accountable. Use creative solutions to activate empty spaces temporarily, such as pop-up shops, art exhibits, or co-working spaces. This will send a signal that your downtown is evolving and worth investing in. A well-maintained, thoughtfully designed downtown feels alive and full of opportunity. Businesses want to be part of that energy. But if your district looks abandoned and neglected, it won’t attract anyone who plans to invest deeply in the community. If your downtown feels vibrant and welcoming, the businesses you want will naturally follow. But if it feels like a place where dreams go to die, don’t be surprised when only marginal businesses show up. Sales follow people, and people are drawn to places that feel alive and cared for. Stop chasing businesses and start fixing the setting. The rest will take care of itself.

The decline of traditional shopping malls presents a unique opportunity for communities worldwide. Instead of viewing these vacant spaces as relics of the past, we should reimagine them as vibrant community hubs. Research shows consumers are increasingly seeking experiences over material possessions. This shift aligns perfectly with the potential of repurposed malls. One exciting example is the rise of Family Entertainment Centers (FECs) in malls across the globe. These centers cater to the growing demand for "eatertainment" – a blend of dining and entertainment. Imagine a mall transformed into a bustling FEC, featuring: - Interactive gaming zones and active play areas. - Themed dining experiences. - Cultural attractions celebrating local heritage. This model is gaining traction worldwide. In Asia, malls are incorporating karaoke rooms and themed cafes. In Europe, FECs often feature bowling alleys and cinema complexes. Studies have demonstrated the significant economic impact of a thriving mall on its surrounding area. Repurposing these spaces can revitalize local economies, create jobs, and increase property values. The strategic location of malls makes them ideal for community-focused initiatives. While FECs are a compelling example, the possibilities extend beyond entertainment. Malls can also be reimagined as: - Community centers. - Job training sites. - Healthcare facilities. - Educational spaces. - Mixed-use developments. By embracing these new models, we can transform empty malls into valuable assets that strengthen our communities. Let's move beyond the nostalgia of traditional retail and embrace the exciting future of these adaptable spaces. #urbanrenewal #communitydevelopment #repurposing #innovation #malls #consumerbehavior #economicimpact #location #FEC #globaltrends

Every city needs more places where people can gather, create, and belong. In a recent article by Andria Cheng for CoStar News, we get a closer look at Fabrik, a startup reimagining coworking by blending community, creativity, and connection. Their model is transforming underused office space into “third places”....not quite home, not quite work, but somewhere in between, while providing the much-needed human interaction that people need. Think yoga sessions, writer circles, artist meetups - programming that draws people out of isolation and into meaningful interaction. And they’re doing it with flexible, short-term leases and little-to-no buildout, making it profitable faster for both operator and landlord. Why it caught my eye: this approach could work in Hampton Roads. We have plenty of buildings with good bones sitting underused in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and beyond. Fabrik’s concept is about leasing space + reactivating it in a way that adds value to the building and the community. But to make something like this viable here, municipalities need to make it easier to rezone buildings that are currently locked into single-use office designations. The demand is shifting, and zoning needs to catch up. Cheng’s article is a solid read for anyone thinking creatively about office space and the future of work (link in the comments). Let’s keep asking the question: "What else could this office building become?" #adaptivereuse

Pedestrian alley redevelopment, Downtown Detroit. The opportunity to transform alleys in urban areas is all around us in our urban centers These typically dirty, odorous, unsightly spaces in cities can become exceptional places for people….with the right kind of design implementation It just takes a thoughtful design approach. Including some aesthetic changes, physical elements that enhance the area for pedestrians, a reorientation of the uses in the buildings, and some thoughtful logistical arrangements, like a rethinking of the enclosures for dumpsters and the use of compactors and other creative elements. Here are 3 examples (showing before and after concepts) all initiatives that my firm, Archive DS, worked on the design for in Downtown Detroit. Our approach was to reposition the negative public spaces into positive public People oriented places It all starts with recognizing the opportunity in an alley and then looking for Ways to transform it One key component is opening up the ground floor uses to the rear of the building, as well as the street front. And also Adding design elements like lighting, landscaping, signage, artwork, among other things. as always in urban design initiatives, creating synergy with multiple buildings and blocks is critical . Having projects that build on each other and collectively create a critical mass that energizes an overall place. This approach is being done in cities all over the world and we have seen some excellent successes in many places in recent years. I’ve been involved in designing, planning and implementing these alley transformations in multiple places including Detroit and Birmingham, Mi Alley transformation is just another example of how we can make negatives into positives in our cities. Turning overlooked places and elements of our urban condition into positives that bring joy to the users of a place. #thelakebelt #4seasoncities #lakebelt #wintercities #citybuilding #detroit #urbandesign #archiveds #archivedesignstudio #alleytransformation #lanewayspace

As office vacancy rates continue to rise across the U.S., with some cities reaching as high as 25%, innovative solutions are needed to address the growing number of empty office buildings. One such solution is transforming vacant office spaces into temporary artist studios, a model that benefits property owners, artists, and the surrounding communities. Zero Empty Spaces is leading the charge in this movement, partnering with property owners to repurpose underutilized spaces into vibrant hubs of creativity and culture. This approach not only revitalizes neighborhoods and fosters local economic growth but also provides artists with affordable, inspiring workspaces that enable them to thrive. #ArtistStudios #VacantOfficeSpaces #CreativeSolutions #CommunityRevitalization #ZeroEmptySpaces #ArtInTheWorkplace #CulturalHubs #UrbanRenewal #AffordableArtSpaces #NeighborhoodRevitalization #SupportLocalArtists #ArtisticCommunities #InnovationInRealEstate #BuildingCreativeSpaces #SustainableSolutions