Value by Design: Smart Design Principles for Neighborhood Shopping Centers

This study examines the outcome of shopping center development as reflected in their built forms. Specifically, this research explores if the design attributes of the shopping centers are related to their economic and walkability characteristics. This is a cross-sectional study focusing on 19 neighborhood shopping centers in Houston, TX, each with a supermarket chain store. It assessed design and location attributes at the architectural, site, and neighborhood scales. Data sets were obtained from the 2000 Census, parcel data, aerial photos, field audits, shopper counts, trace mapping, and photographs. Due to the small sample size, the analyses focused on bivariate analyses such as the t-test and the KruskalWallis test and factor analyses. Mean property values were higher for the shopping centers located in suburban areas, and those with architectural modulations, roofline variations, and non-linear building layouts. Land value was positively associated with the presence of seating areas, and improvement values were positively associated with roofline variations in buildings. A gas station in the center and a left turn lane along the main frontage street were positively associated with total property value. Neighborhood scale variables were not significant when objectively measured but the perceptual assessment of the overall visual quality was associated positively with the land, improvement, and total property values. Design items that were associated with positive visual assessments included trees in the parking lot or along the frontage streets, seating areas near the supermarket, architectural modulations, roofline variations, and non-linear building layouts. The stores with trees in their parking lot or along the frontage street had significantly higher numbers of shoppers and higher ratings of overall visual quality, compared to those without trees. More people were present in the shopping center where there were seating areas and a dry cleaner. Pedestrian counts were positively associated with higher ratings of lighting and sidewalk conditions. The centers with bus stops had higher percentages of pedestrian shoppers than those without bus stops, while those with a fast food restaurant had lower percentage of pedestrian shoppers. Journal of Shopping Center Research (2007), 14, 2, pp. 73-96.