<p>I can’t access any of the sites in the postings here.</p>
<p>I do understand the need if the surrounding area is unsafe. I just get the feeling that everything in the world will eventually be owned by a handful of multinational conglomerates. This feels like one more step down that path.</p>
<p>^ beth, Well, that is a problem that certainly transcends colleges. I think the “malling” of America is boring and poor economics. The areas that will thrive in the long run will be those who hung onto their unique characteristics.</p>
<p>Weenie</p>
<p>Yeah, let’s hope. A lot of people like the cookie cutter thing.</p>
<p>No, the mall type stores are much more stable. The average independent store lasts maybe 5 years or less. Nearly all fail in 20 years.</p>
<p>Gee, my aunt & uncle had a diner near UPenn for decades–good, cheap food. </p>
<p>FAU was often seen as a commuter school. They couldn’t fill the dorms. They began with a huge campus and built most buildings in one area, and research buildings more at a distance. They are doing a lot to improve their image and educational opportunities, e.g. medical school. Until 4-5 yrs ago, there were NO stores in easy walking distance. None of those stores are clothing; rather, BB&B, Organized Living, Barnes & Noble, and a few eateries.
Lynn U is also in Boca, but its location is better. Kids can walk to the mall and many sports bars, bowling alleys, etc
U North Fl has become more popular, partly because they now have great dorms.
Again, one has to know the college to understand what is needed to make the place safer and more interesting</p>
<p>bookworm, interesting points about Florida - the new urbanist movement cetainly is in vogue right now as the way to promote a balanced mix of commercial and residential development. Could be the influence of seniors there and the idea of retirement villages writ large. As attractive as it all sounds the commercial exploitation side of college town -new urbanist developments do make me feel like I want to join Garland’s old fogey club. I am not thrilled at the idea of too many distractions in the shape of “big box stores” either attached or too close by to dorms. Granted this type of commercial arrangement is an ingeniuos way to pay the bills, to finance projects and stimulate the growth needed to generate bigger bucks for universities but the fall-out is not exactly what I want to come to mind as a high priority when it comes to the college experience - in that vein, I agree that campuses should offer good and reliable bus shuttle services to nearby commercial centers. At the same time, campus stores are incredibly expensive and don’t offer students much of a choice so a healthy dose of local competition is not a bad thing. I know that my sophomore son often doesn’t have time (or shouldn’t have too much time…) to roam far and wide to shop for basics much less hang out at a mall. Too bad, as Barrons points out, that so many of the unique non-chain business are not successful business ventures. </p>
<p>The plight of public colleges that have to look for lucrative private sources for increased revenue is also an issue here. UCF is not the only university to turn to the new urbanist approach to attract students and improve retention rates. UConn at Storrs (as other Ct. colleges) fails to attract and even loses a significant number of students because neighborhood surroundings are unattractive and don’t offer the quality of life that students now want. Public universities need to attract students and faculty and the of a college town atmosphere and at UConn Storrs a 15-acre development called Storrs Center is set to begin next summer. The project, estimated to cost at least $175 million, calls for up to 800 housing units, and up to 200,000 square feet of retail and 75,000 square feet of office space. The majority of the land to be developed is university owned. Interesting point about the UConn development plan - no big box stores allowed.</p>
<p>There is also a lot going on in Arkansas at Hendrix College where a plan was recently approved to begin work on a huge development project designed to create a long-term source of revenue to support academic programs for the college. According to Hendrix President J. Timothy Cloyd, “The Village at Hendrix” will be the first fully developed neighborhood in Arkansas to adopt New Urbanist principles to promote the revival of traditional neighborhoods and raise the quality of life and standard of living by creating better places to live:</p>
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<p><a href=“US Postal Service Purchases Canoo EVs”>US Postal Service Purchases Canoo EVs;
<p>I was in a citizens group that fought off a mall in our town and brought in one of the “new urbanists” to help us design a mixed use, pedestrian friendly downtown. It’s not perfect either, but a lot better than a mall. We didn’t want our town center to be only about shopping. Unfortunately we were not able to fend off the big box developer who inflicted a Wal-Mart, Home Depot, etc. on us across the road. These people are just too powerful and monied, imo.</p>
<p>Don’t you think it is really bizarre though, to drive through one of those “lifestyle” malls, with their Disneyland downtowns, and then keep going to the abandoned “real” downtown that is invariably within a few miles? I don’t know. It just feels all so wasteful and fake. But I understand that most people don’t see it that way.</p>
<p>weenie</p>
<p>I agree, but we didn’t have a downtown to abandon.</p>