theboxtank Launches

Welcome to theboxtank, a weblog about big-box urbanism, what we consider to be one of the major forces driving the development of the American city and how we live. The focus of this blog is Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, and it’s role in shaping American cities and culture.

Though today marks our official launch, we have been posting for a while now. Material in the archives will give you a hint of what this site is about and where it may lead. In short, we are working from the belief that the essence of the American city isn’t Manhattan, or Boston, or Chicago [a dense urban core that supports industry, work, pleasure, housing and retail]; but rather the sprawl of Knoxville, Houston, or Omaha, generic cities that look the same and feel the same. In the sprawl of these cities are where most Americans live, where you can find the same Ruby Tuesdays, TGIFs, and Jiffy Lubes. Most architects and urban planners don’t spend enough time dealing with this part of the landscape; instead they are fixated with museums, high end residential houses, or downtown revitalization schemes. And it is here that you will find Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart is the largest retailer in the world. As of July 2004 there are 1,409 Wal-Mart Stores, 1,562 Wal-Mart Super Centers, 539 SAM ’s Clubs, 70 Wal-Mart Neighborhood Markets, 1,506 International Wal-Marts, 138 Million Customers Weekly (Domestic & International), 1.2 million ‘Associates ’ Domestic, 330,000 ‘Associates’ International, 103 Distribution Centers, and $256.3 Billion Sales FYE 1/31/04.

Wal-Mart has done a lot to revolutionize the mechanisms of retail and its influence is far-reaching. While this blog will cover Wal-Mart and other big-box related material, it will gear more toward Wal-Mart’s impact on the American landscape, and how it’s business strategies impact how people shop and live. From this we hope to learn what is happening to our definitions and expectations of public space, transportation, architecture, and urbanism.

theboxtank lab is a site with research, material and projects developed from theboxtank. It might range from diagrams elaborating on a specific topic covered in theboxtank, to actual alternatives to the current attitude of suburban development and living.

theboxtank is written and published by Geoff DeOld, Emily Andersen and Corey Hoelker from the Lower East Side. Please feel free to comment, send tips and ideas, or links about Wal-Mart or other suburban or retail related material.

Comments

[Urbanist]

Great site!

Your readers may be interested in my new blog, the New (sub)Urbanist which covers suburban sustainability, transportation, land use, and other related information.

http://newurbanist.blogspot.com

[Michael Gill]

What's URL?
Wow-very impressive you guys! I can't believe I had to "happen" across this, and was not directed.
After further reading...I'll be back with more.
Love
MG

[Dalia]

All this website is stating is GENTRIFICATION!
The displacement of marginalized and people of color. Do you guys ever think about them?!?

[Kpt. Kloss]

Your site really nuked me - it's perfect :)))

Urban policymakers in my country should visit your site. Its perfect to show "what_if_scenario" for big box retail and uncontrolled suburbanization.

[Mike Peacock]

Does anyone know the average or typical size of Walmarts parking lots? I'm writing an article that make reference to this.
Thanks
Mike

[Trevor Hull]

Wow, I was just told about this website by a co-worker who happened upon Geoff's comments on www.reddomaha.com (great input there, by the way) It's great to see the two (three? with Corey?) of you addressing such a worthy topic... I expected no less. Look forward to reading and exploring more.

from the huge generic city of Lincoln,
trevor

[David Hickson]

Ok, so Wal-mart has led to some undesirable consequences. but why is it that a super target, or big K, or another major big box retailer seems to skate by their approval processes while wal-mart is chastised for issues that extend well beyond land use? the dilemma that 1st created this issue of weakening the central city retailers has now led to protests against the big giant for other reasons.

keep in mind this is a democratic and free market country we live in. i hear the same about starbucks. just because their global success has led to seeing them all over the place doesn't give us the right to attack them, hiding behind the issues that ARE NOT based in land use.

when you stop buying your toilet paper at costco and actually spend your money in home-grown stores, maybe your arguments aren't hippocritical.

[Chris Jaquez]

I have to agree with David's comments. It seems most people have no clue about basic economics or how capitalism works. I usually dismiss the rhetoric as that from socialists, professors (who live outside reality), Hollywood Idiots and college kids who will find out in due time how the world works.

It's funny that 'everyone' hates Wal-Mart but Wal-Mart is the 2nd most profitable retailer in the world. Who are these phantom customers? It's also funny that the same fervor and vitriol is not reserved for Target, K-Mart, Costco and other big boxes.

Now, I am not particularly a fan of Wal-Mart or particularly in specific land use environments. However, that is a land use question with Zoning and Design Standards as the operative tool to mitigate the impacts. But that observation is the same for any big box with similar impacts. Wal-Mart should not be treated any different as that would certainly be arbitrary and capricious.

[Jim]

Perhaps it is because Wal-Mart _is_ the 2nd most profitable retailer that makes it the target. They are in a position to alter the big-box landscape for the better. Home-grown stores are a thing of the past in most areas (even in urban areas) for better or for worse.

However, downtown areas are not a thing of the past and these big-box cooridors need to be fixed. These new communites are merely subdivisions off of a 4 lane road with parking and big boxes. There is only one road, one big area of parking and shopping, this becomes the new downtown, the community is lost. It becomes a 'community' of the line rather than the grid. This is what needs to be fixed as I see absolutely nothing positive about it and Wal-Mart is in a position to start that trend.

Perhaps give back to the community in a physical, inherent way with a better designed package (building and parking) rather than just giving money to the local communites (as they say they do).

Just found this site the other day, I'll be reading from now on. thanks.

[Mauricio Contreras]

Hi, im write from Chile, South America. You have more information about Wal-Tropolis, its possible to built o is a crazy idea?

Thanks

[Maris]

Hi friend!
I liked your site!
Good work! ;)