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Jan 18
2018

January 18, 2018

Retail in the Age of Amazon

Even if you are not a Wall Street analyst, you are probably well-informed about Amazon’s recent accomplishments.  The company has come a long way from its humble book-vendor beginning, as it is now inches away from owning (some would say monopolizing) the modern consumer experience much in the same way Sears owned the consumer experience in the post-war era. Amazon has become so massive that antitrust policy-makers are starting to question its reach; it has all but become common practice for…

Posted in Business, Commercial Real Estate, Real Estate, Technology | and

3 Comments

Oct 11
2017

October 11, 2017

Why Amazon’s HQ2 Should Be Dallas Midtown Bound

Amazon (ticker: AMZN) recently sent shockwaves across most major American cities by announcing it would be building a second headquarters, called HQ2, which would be a “full equal” to its Seattle campus.  The aftershocks have persisted into this week, as major metropolitan newspapers continue to assess their respective cities’ viabilities in the competition — examples include the Chicago Tribune’s “How big a deal? Amazon’s massive HQ2 in Chicago scale,” The Baltimore Sun’s, “Breaking down Baltimore’s chances for Amazon HQ2,” and…

Posted in Business, Commercial Real Estate, Real Estate, Technology | and

11 Comments

Aug 8
2017

August 8, 2017

Why did Dallas grow North?

It is no surprise that Dallas gets hot in the summer—the Dallas Morning News is reporting that Dallas is expected to bake in temperatures as high as 110ºF early next week— and when the city of Dallas starts to scorch, so does the rest of the metroplex. However, back in 1907, a few Dallas suburbs apparently defied the laws of meteorology. In 1906, Dallas developer John Armstrong bought the land that would later become the city of Highland Park and…

Posted in Business, Commercial Real Estate, Economics, Real Estate | and

3 Comments

Mar 7
2017

March 7, 2017

Parks Catalyze Economic Growth

The success of many global cities can be traced directly to the quality of their public spaces and parks.  Urban parks are among the most noteworthy and visited attractions of any major city— think Central Park in New York City, Millennium Park in Chicago or Hyde Park in London—and serve important social, public-health and environmental functions for their urban populations. Consider these examples: Urban parks tend to decrease crime.  A prime example of the positive impact of urban park can…

Posted in Business, Economics, Real Estate | and

3 Comments

Aug 5
2016

August 5, 2016

Millennials and the Trend Towards Rapid Urbanization

It is no secret that “Millennials,” defined in 2015 as adults aged between 18 and 34, are in the process of reshaping the social, political, and urban landscape of the United States. Recent studies by the Pew Research Center indicate that Millennials now comprise a majority of the US labor force at 53.5% and—with a population of 75.4 million—represent the largest American generation. Millennials are frequently depicted as entitled.  In fact, CNBC has called them “lazy, narcissistic, and addicted to…

Posted in Business, Real Estate |

12 Comments

May 10
2016

May 10, 2016

Protecting the Downside

Although I consider myself an optimist, I know better than to assume that failure is avoidable. The fact is that failure is simply inevitable in certain situations, and I am constantly practicing and refining my ability to deal with failure. “One must continuously see and strive for the upside while protecting the downside” – Scott N. Beck— I would like to reflect on protecting the downside through the lenses of real estate, world economics, politics and life lessons. Real Estate…

Posted in Business, Global Business, Real Estate |

1 Comment

Mar 20
2015

March 20, 2015

The Importance of a Digital Persona

Today, simply having a website just isn’t enough. Your digital storefront and your online reputation extend beyond the pixelated confines of your corporate domain to the social networks of Facebook, Twitter, Linked in, Pintrest, and Instagram. These, and others like them, constitute what are commonly referred to as “social media networks.” Your presence (or lack thereof) on these networks collectively forms your digital persona, your personal “state department,” if you will, an online cadre of ambassadors that represent you in…

Posted in Business, Real Estate |

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Jul 28
2014

July 28, 2014

Creating Place and Building Community

Place is not just buildings, it’s people and people are at the heart of creating place.  People deserve special buildings to celebrate their community so it’s important to remember place is not simply about the buildings it’s the science of building community.  A basic human need is socialization with other people. Buildings such as community centers seek to join people together while places like art galleries exist to further celebrate community while simultaneously providing the community with freedom of expression….

Posted in Real Estate |

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Mar 5
2014

March 5, 2014

The Rubber Band Effect

When you look around the world, many great cities have been built on a north-south axis. Some examples of foreign cities include Beijing, Bogota, Lahore, and Athens. What causes cities to be built on an alternate axis is usually some type of water tributary, railway, or topographical impediment. Just like most cities, Dallas, Texas is built on a north-south axis.  When Dallas initially expanded out of downtown, it followed Preston Road, a dirt road at the time, to the north away from Downtown Dallas….

Posted in Real Estate |

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