Principles of Urban Retail Planning and Development [Hardcover]

Robert J. Gibbs (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 3, 2012 | ISBN-10: 0470488220 | ISBN-13: 978-0470488225 | Edition: 1

"...Extraordinary: Gibbs has popped the hood and taken apart the engine of commercial design and development, showing us each individual part and explaining fit, form and function."
—Yaromir Steiner, Founder, Chief Executive Officer, Steiner + Associates

"...the most comprehensive and expansive book ever written on the subject of Retail Real Estate Development.  Gibbs is by far the most prominent advocate for reforming retail planning and development in order to return American cities to economic and physical prominence."
–Stefanos Polyzoides, Moule & Polyzoides Architects & Urbanists

The retail environment has evolved rapidly in the past few decades, with the retailing industry and its placement and design of "brick-and-mortar" locations changing with evolving demographics, shopping behavior, transportation options and a desire in recent years for more unique shopping environments.

Written by a leading expert, this is a guide to planning for retail development for urban planners, urban designers and architects. It includes an overview of history of retail design, a look at retail and merchandising trends, and principles for current retail developments.

Principles of Urban Retail Planning and Development will:

• Provide insight and techniques necessary for historic downtowns and new urban communities to compete with modern suburban shopping centers.
• Promote sustainable community building and development by making it more profitable for the shopping center industry to invest in historic cities or to develop walkable urban communities.
• Includes case studies of recent good examples of retail development

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (January 3, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470488220
• ISBN-13: 978-0470488225
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 0.8 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #169,664 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #93 in Books > Professional & Technical > Architecture > Urban & Land Use Planning

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Robert J. Gibbs, a charter member of the Congress for the New Urbanism, looks at what it takes to build a shopping center that thrives. He outlines every ingredient, from business models. . . and structure. . . to storefront design and parking." (Landscape Architecture Magazine, May 2012)

"Every component of this book is organized systematically. Gibbs conveys his expertise with rigorous clarity. This guide should prove invaluable for anyone who wants to do retail in a way that adds to a community's character and also makes economic sense." (Better! Cities & Towns, March 2012)

"His book will be most useful to private-sector planners and those who work with public-private partnerships. But the material it contains will also be helpful to public planners dealing with zoning issues." (Planning Magazine, March 2012)

"The book has chapters on big topics like lease language and making smart use of anchor tenants." (Shoppingcenterreporter.com, February 2012)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (January 3, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470488220
• ISBN-13: 978-0470488225
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 0.8 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #169,664 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #93 in Books > Professional & Technical > Architecture > Urban & Land Use Planning

More About the Author

Robert Gibbs is considered one of the foremost urban retail planners in America. For more than two decades, his expertise has been sought by some of the most respected mayors, renowned architects, and successful real-estate developers in the country. Profiled in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Urban Land, Gibbs has, writes The Atlantic Monthly, "a commercial sensibility unlike anything possessed by the urban planners who usually design downtown-renewal efforts."

Gibbs, founder of Gibbs Planning Group, has been active in developing innovative yet practical methods for applying modern trends in commercial development to more than 300 town centers and historic cities here and abroad. In this country, Mayor Joseph P. Riley called Gibbs's retail plan for Charleston, "The Bible for the future of our historic district."

Foremost among Gibbs' achievements has been the successful application of the latest in modern retail planning and merchandising to depressed or declining communities as well as to new developments designed as traditional towns. Gibbs believes that sustainable development and vibrant community life are only possible with a vital commercial life, and that new and old towns alike need intelligent strategies for its survival. These strategies include a well-planned retail mix, advantageous pedestrian and vehicular circulation patterns, and arresting storefront designs.

A speaker at the First Congress of the New Urbanism in 1992 and eight subsequent CNUs, Gibbs has lectured throughout the country and contributed articles to numerous books and publications. Of particular note is his authorship of the SmartCode Retail Module. For the past 17 years, he has taught "Urban Retail Planning" in the Executive Education Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Design.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Retail with the city at heart. May 13, 2012

By Kobus Mentz

Format:Hardcover

It is refreshing to read a book on retail that has the city at heart and understands that retail is more than just commerce at work. Robert's tone is democratic rather than corporate.

He also offers us a stern warning that "...towns and cities have ceded their historical role as the region's primary shopping destination to the suburbs" and then goes on to explain, elaborately, how we can bring society's foremost means of exchange back to the core of our communities.
While his book is holistic in its premise, it is also practical in its advice. It offers an expert understanding of all the current-day fundamentals of retail and how they can be employed to re-construct the diverse public realm-based qualities of authentic centres of the past.
I enjoyed the multi-facetted nature of the book and how it deals with design and spatial planning issues, character and visual issues, as well as financial and operational issues. We are introduced into the fundamentals of retail, business models and a range of financial and sustainability issues, then educated on built-form types and an array of detailed design matters.

He reminds us that "consumer spending and behaviour are influenced by numerous emotional and economic variables" then proceeds to offer advice on issues of visual merchandising and visual character approaches.

Robert's focus on business and management factors is also warranted, city managers who lament the continuing demise of their centres despite substantial investment in the public realm should take note.

Such a wide array of expertise is seldom found in one author or practitioner. Unless you have the experience to match, and if you are active in this area, you better get hold of a copy!...

Kobus Mentz, director, Urbanismplus and adunct professor urban design. Read more ›

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Principles of Urban Retail Planning and Development March 13, 2012

By Laurence Qamar

Format:Hardcover

Bob Gibbs' "Principles of Urban Retail Planning and Development" is a milestone in the urban retailing movement, and in the rebirth of American cities and suburbs. Therein lies the magic of Gibb's wisdom: that vibrant, economically successful, walkable mixed-use main street districts are the nuclei of the rebirth of truly sustainable neighborhood, villages, towns, and cities in America. And Gibbs shows us the secrets to craft those beloved and enduring places that people love to live in, discover, and return to.

Gibbs masterfully combines aspects of retail psychology with the art and science of "urban place-making", transportation, market research, branding, and demographics. Whether you are a city planner, a developer, an architect, a national retail CEO, or just opening a mom & pop shop, "Principles of Urban Retail Planning and Development" should be sitting open on your desk!
-Laurence Qamar, Architect & Town Planner

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Invaluable expertise February 6, 2013

By John Christopher Sych

Format:Hardcover

Bob Gibbs possesses an exceptional proficiency in unwinding the juggernaut that is urban commerce and development. His insight is respected and valued. Highly recommended!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Principles of Urban Retail Planning and Development December 18, 2012

By Michael Dunning

Format:Hardcover

Bob Gibbs has obviously kept his finger on the pulse of the retail market economy for decades and has used his inside knowledge and experience with how customers shop, how retailers market and how goods and services are branded to craft this unique and sometimes very candid manual for truly understanding Urban Retail Planning and Development. Don't let the title and particularly the term "urban" fool you. This book is an expose of all the mechanisms and truths behind what makes our market economy tick as well as the trends and influences that affect it. Most importantly, Gibbs' book deals expertly with the way in which the built environment responds - and can be made to respond - to the forces of retailing that most of us just don't see.

Michael Dunning, AIA, Principal, Shook Kelley

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Helpful Guide & Resource for Planners and Community Builders December 18, 2012

By Milt Rhodes

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I've found the book,Principles of Urban Retail Planning and Development to be a very helpful for resource for communicating the in's and out's of urban retail situations. The informative illustrations provide numerous examples of best practices and the case studies from both historic and contemporary retail environments is very useful when discussing development opportunities and the potential of sites my clients are investigating. With clients always looking for real-life examples of mixed use, walkable communities that have succesful retail results, this book does the Community Builidng profession a great service.

Milt Rhodes, Urban Designer & Town Planner
New Urban Water Works

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Bob Gibbs Urban Retail December 16, 2012

By Todd

Format:Hardcover

Bob Gibbs is the master, and has a tremendous understanding on how shopping formats in Urban Retail meet the needs of today's customers. Todd Caruso, Senior Managing Director, Retail Agency Services, Americas.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Retail Advice at its Best December 21, 2012

By Dave Leland

Format:Hardcover

Bob Gibbs has long been considered one of the very best in the United States when it comes to retail understanding and strategies for success. This comprehensive book is highly readable, clear in its recommendations and examples, and a very welcome addition to any real estate professional's library.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Real Places: Resilient Retail - Gibbs gives the roadmap for getting there. December 17, 2012

By Haz

Format:Hardcover

This succinct and delightful book is a must read for developers, retailers, and city planners. But it may be even more important for politicians and local leaders looking to make their cities and towns economically resilient and livable.

The US has 20 SF of retail per person. That's massive in comparison to other countries; the next closest are Sweden at 3.3 and the UK at 2.5 SF. So if you're going to build more or invest in redevelopment, it has to be great to succeed. This book provides essential insights into how the market defines "great."

Bob Gibbs has long been considered a city building guru whose direction to cities such as Charleston, South Carolina, has created a complete turn-around in the economic success of key neighborhoods. He now shares those insights broadly here.

Originally from a conventional mall background, Gibbs is savvy with the numbers required to make the nationals' business models pencil. Yet he masterfully directs them into walkable neighborhood formats, with a tenacious mix of local entrepreneurs.