Applebee's slogan "It's a whole new neighborhood." jives with it's latest TV ads, "you're not just our customers, you're our neighbors." Tesco's newest grocery stores are named "Fresh and Easy Neighborhood markets". Lowes recently relaunched their website that encourages you to "come and meet your new neighbors."
Electronic trends have shown the American consumer is seeking a real sense of community. (look at the meteoric rise of social and business networking communities, from MySpace to FaceBook to LinkedIn).
Community and neighborhood concepts have permanently impacted retail store design. Enclosed shopping malls are becoming a thing of the past, the last American full scale mall constructed in 2006. Lifestyle shopping centers are presenting the consumer with a feeling of a little downtown, gathering places, and designed to emphasize the outdoor environment, allow the consumer to linger, mingle and interact. Restaurants with cafe fronts are typically placed throughout the centers. Once again, window merchandising is becoming important at families and couples stroll along to 'window shop'.
Once again, what does this mean to your design center? Staff should be knowledgeable about communities, and local amenities. Builders should deliver a folder with printouts of area coffee shops, theaters, active options, and local shopping places ready to go. Continuing with the feeling of community and neighborhoods, how about providing some information about area clubs and volunteering opportunities to help a new home purchaser get involved right away?
In new construction, we sometimes forget that we are in the business of creating neighborhoods. Hedgewood Homes, a builder in Atlanta, does a terrific job of highlighting neighborhood and community on their website. Hedgewood points out community features such as public spaces, children's parks, fire pit and swimming pool, but also links to community schools, points of interest and even the local civic center. Consumer's can choose to click "Contact neighborhood" to reach sales staff.
From the Walk Score website: What is Walk Score?
We help home buyers, renters, and real estate agents find houses and apartments in great neighborhoods. Walk Score shows you a map of what's nearby and calculates a Walk Score for any property. Buying a house in a walkable neighborhood is good for your health and good for the environment.
Walk Score encourages real estate sights to add their link to their website. "Home buyers and renters can compare the walkability of properties and see a map of what's nearby."
Walkable Neighborhoods
Picture a walkable neighborhood. You lose weight each time you walk to the grocery store. You stumble home from last call without waiting for a cab. You spend less money on your car—or you don't own a car. When you shop, you support your local economy. You talk to your neighbors.
What makes a neighborhood walkable?
Walkable communities tend to have the following characteristics:
A center: Walkable neighborhoods have a discernable center, whether it's a shopping district, a main street, or a public space.
Density: The neighborhood is dense enough for local businesses to flourish and for public transportation to be cost effective.
Mixed income, mixed use: Housing is provided for everyone who works in the neighborhood: young and old, singles and families, rich and poor. Businesses and residences are located near each other.
Parks and public space: There are plenty of public places to gather and play.
Accessibility: The neighborhood is accessible to everyone and has wheelchair access, plenty of benches with shade, sidewalks on all streets, etc.
Well connected, speed controlled streets: Streets form a connected grid that improves traffic by providing many routes to any destination. Streets are narrow to control speed, and shaded by trees to protect pedestrians.
Pedestrian-centric design: Buildings are placed close to the street to cater to foot traffic, with parking lots relegated to the back.
Close schools and workplaces: Schools and workplaces are close enough that most residents can walk from their homes.
As a builder, highlighting neighborhood and community will positively impact your sales, and create referrals.
The Design Minds at Hearth and Home Blog is geared to support design center staff and the new construction industry in selling options and upgrades to the new home consumer. Subscribe for updates. Contact Krisann Parker-Brown for merchandising or marketing support of your design center. She will be happy to work with you on your assortment and presentation to ensure you are on track for the upcoming decor trends.
Krisann Parker-Brown is the merchandising manager for Hearth and Home Technologies, the leading manufacturer and retailer of fireplaces and hearth systems. Krisann supports design centers and new construction builders in presenting Heat & Glo, Heatilator and Quadra-Fire hearth systems, and consulting on design center merchandising, point of sale and the consumer experience. Contact her at brownkr@hearthnhome.com or 952-985-6537
