Big-Box Retail Development: Examining Complications, Understanding Trends, and Introducing Holistic Strategies to Minimize the Impacts on Communities
Date
2015-09-29
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Abstract
Big-box stores are large-scale, single storey buildings such as Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Canadian Tire, and Rona, to name a few. These types of projects have been present in North American cities for decades and have offered one-stop shopping experiences and lower prices than smaller, independent stores. However, big-box stores, at times, also present social, cultural, and environmental issues. This thesis explores the development of big-box retailers and examines their contribution to public space within the urban design context through the lens of a holistic approach. Using holistic guidelines, big-box buildings are critically analyzed in order to reconceive a design that is functional, environmentally sustainable, and aesthetically appealing. An integrated design framework is then developed that offers strategies to manage the complex issues of big-box retail and development. It also provides holistic solutions for sustainable design, while promoting a sense of place and increasing the potential for an attachment to place.
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Architecture
Citation
Radmehr, S. (2015). Big-Box Retail Development: Examining Complications, Understanding Trends, and Introducing Holistic Strategies to Minimize the Impacts on Communities (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/25117