A New Wave

Four year olds can really take the energy right out of you. After one day back at work I’m struggling a bit with re-entry.

Today I’m sending you over to the Washington Post for this fascinating piece about community spaces for shared experiences:

Why developers are offering ‘experiences’ to attract suburbanites by Katherine Shaver

Most developers aren’t shunning traditional retail as much as Kaplan plans to. But many say they, too, are focusing on more “experiential” ways to attract people and hold on to them long enough that they’ll browse and buy instead of stay home and click. Providing experience now goes well beyond the traditional winter ice rink or summer movie night.

It’s why you’re seeing so many more restaurants, food halls, cooking demonstrations, outdoor yoga classes, smaller concert venues, bars and lounges, farmers markets, tot lots, fire pits, splashable fountains, restaurant-like bowling alleys, and cocktail-serving movie theaters — anything that helps people interact in a way they can’t online.

It occurs to me that one’s stage in life also makes a difference in the kind of experiences one seeks out. Parents with young children may be looking for amenities like splashable fountains. Older couples who are downsizing may come to these suburban hubs for a walkable vibrancy where they can connect with friends. Of course, cross-generational experiences give communities a truly authentic sense of place. We don’t want to place different age groups in silos to the point that they don’t come in contact with one another.

What do you think? Can you think of some local examples where this is happening? Do you enjoy frequenting places that give you those opportunities to have shared experiences?

H/T to Dan Reed of Just Up the Pike  for bringing this article to my attention.