ABSTRACT
In the 80s, industry experts forecast marked expansion opportunities for shopping centers in middle markets, while the federal government is urging shopping centers to be built in existing downtowns. At the risk of being contrarians, let us suggest that new shopping centers are most likely to be clustered with already existing, successful shopping centers. Here’s why:
For the first time in our history, in the 80s, we will see a decreased mobility of the American population because of rising fuel costs. What this will do is cause our metropolitan areas, instead of continuing to spread outward, to stabilize in the area they occupy. Consequently, the area we now have settled will remain relatively fixed and become more dense.
