Background

America once thrived on its strong network of small-to-midsize, “Legacy Cities,” a series of communities once hailed for their industrial productivity that have fallen on hard times as factories have moved elsewhere and whose local economies have never recovered. Many of these cities have begun to redevelop their economies and their downtowns are beginning to see new life. Restaurants, cafes, and shops have replaced vacant storefronts, seemingly indicating a fresh start.

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The Problem

Despite increasing urban populations and corresponding downtown redevelopments, local economies are stagnating because this development ignores the fact that in the last 60 years, shopping preferences have changed. If nothing is done to improve the sustainability of the downtown retail economy, even cities with bustling main streets will fail.

 

People are moving back into cities in pursuit of a fun, exciting downtown with plenty of dining, shopping, and cultural institutions. However, they don’t want to actually spend their money there. They want to be able to stroll and browse boutiques while buying their clothes in chain stores, their food in suburban grocery stores, and their furniture online. We need to make sure these reborn cities are able to rebuild their economies beyond a quick beer or a dinner. 

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Economic Facadism

In its conventional definition,  facadism is the architectural practice where the façade of a building is designed or constructed separately from the rest of a building, or when only the façade of a building is preserved with new buildings erected behind or around it. Economic facadism, on the other hand, refers to cities whose storefronts and retail infrastructure are used as a front, to create the illusion of urbanism and small town charm. It features retail attractions which are meant to inspire foot traffic rather than drive revenue.

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