Retail Trend - Transit-Oriented Developments
-By Chris Briggs

Transit-oriented development (TOD) is usually a public/private partnership that combines transportation facilities with mixed-use activities. A successful partnership allows the partners to share risks, costs and rewards.

Typically, local government or a transit agency supplies the transportation infrastructure, while the private sector’s role is the design and development of a variety of mixed-uses including retail, commercial and residential projects. Such developments can generate jobs and increase ridership, tax revenues and real estate values.

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Retail's Role in a Cities Financial Health
As seen in the July issue of CALED's The Bulletin

California cities, faced with a greater revenue-generating challenge than other states due to the inability to raise property taxes, must rise to the challenge by finding other avenues for income. Many cities are finding success by focusing part of their efforts on retail growth. A robust retail economy adds much-needed tax revenue, provides jobs and allows residents to shop close to home. In recent history, a growing number of California communities have faced financial despair. In the late 1990’s, Gardena, Calif., officials found themselves on the brink of bankruptcy. Their budget was several millions of dollars in deficit, a first-time homebuyer program had failed and they had multiple bonds with interest rates on the rise. The City Council and the City management team created a plan to pay down their debt, cut budgets and tighten their belts to stop spending money.

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Marketing... A Step in the Right Direction

What are you doing to stimulate your retail economic development strategy? Many communities are hiring Buxton to provide them with the tools necessary to leverage credible data sources that indicate your community’s ability to sustain a store today.

While data is invaluable in successfully recruiting retail, there are other things a community can do to make themselves more attractive to retailers and developers alike. One suggestion is branding.

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