Repositioning Retail as Community Infrastructure and Placemaking

Retail properties are central to communities yet are often operated as transactional shopping destinations rather than as essential community assets. This session will focus on how underutilized retail environments can evolve into essential community-serving spaces by integrating services, programming, and local partnerships. The topic reflects Second Horizon Capital and Chicago TREND’s work repositioning assets while positioning retail as part of the everyday fabric of a community.
A placemaking exercise will use a real-world example to explore revitalizing a retail property across ownership, leasing, marketing, and community engagement, followed by shared takeaways participants can apply within their own communities.