Big-box blight or community salvation?

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

The Infrastructurist had a great item on what can happen when our landscape is suddenly dotted with thousands of empty big-box stores such as Circuit City and K-Mart, both of which have shuttered shops. The article quotes Oberlin College professor Julia Christensen, who spent the last seven years finding communities that ‘reclaimed’ abandoned big-box stores and put them back to a ‘socially productive use’ creating museums, libraries, recreation centers and schools. Christensen recently published a book on the topic titled ‘Big Box Reuse.’

Not a bad idea. Maybe the parking lots could become free skateboard parks while we’re at it?

-- Ann Brenoff

Your thoughts? Comments?