Between 2016 and 2017 vacant store fronts nearly tripled in New York.
From Prospect Heights to Times Square, vacant commercial spaces are spreading all over New York. "A survey conducted by Douglas Elliman found that about 20 percent of all retail space in Manhattan is currently vacant, she said, compared with roughly 7 percent in 2016," Corey Kilgannon reports for the New York Times.
A growing economy is pushing up costs, especially in neighborhoods that are becoming wealthy. Other factors cited by retail watchers include the continued growth of online retail and a practice called "warehousing" store fronts. Some believe that property owners with the means to forgo rents will keep properties off the market in order to secure longer leases or higher rents. Mayor, Bill de Blasio, has said he would support a vacancy tax to try to dissuade the practice.
Whatever the cause, the effect is clear. "Soaring rents and competition from online shopping have forced out many beloved mom-and-pop shops, which many residents say decimates neighborhoods and threatens New York’s unique character," Kilgannon writes.
FULL STORY: This Space Available
Three Lessons About Vacancies and Affordable Housing
The New York City Housing and Vacancy Survey was released in February 2017, revealing nuanced realities of the city's housing market.
Is Trump’s Reversal of Congestion Pricing Legal?
Gov. Hochul says New York City will “keep its cameras on.” Can the administration legally end the nation's first cordon pricing program?
USDOT Revokes Approval for NYC Congestion Pricing
Despite the administration’s stated concern for the “working class,” 85 percent of Manhattan commuters use public transit to enter the city.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
Downtown Los Angeles on the Rise: A Promising 2025
Fueled by new developments, cultural investments, and a growing dining scene, downtown Los Angeles is poised for significant growth in 2025, despite challenges from recent wildfires and economic uncertainties.
How Single-Family Conversions Benefit Both Homeowners and Cities
Converting single-family homes to triplexes can ease the housing crisis and offer affordable, flexible options for more households. Why is it largely illegal?
Report: Transportation Equity Requires More Than Electrification
Lower-income households often lack the resources to buy electric cars, signaling a need for a more holistic approach to improving mobility and lowering transportation costs.
Supporting Indigenous Land Reclamation Through Design
Harvard students collaborated with the Sac and Fox Nation to develop strategies for reclaiming and co-managing ancestral lands in Illinois, supporting Indigenous sovereignty through design, cultural storytelling, and economic planning.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research