Case Study: Incremental Retail in a 600-Acre Master-Planned Community

Written By edie everywhere

Location: Confidential – 600-acre master-planned community
Timeline: 10-year development plan
Engagement: Summer 2024

Challenge
The developer sought to create a vibrant, connected community from day one—but without overbuilding retail too early. They needed a strategy that would:

  • Activate early phases with meaningful amenities

  • Draw residents out of their homes and into shared spaces

  • Build a retail ecosystem that would evolve in step with the growing population

Approach

Edie introduced an Incremental Retail Strategy designed to scale over the community’s 10-year build-out:

Phase 1 – Early Activation:

  • Transformed four lots into a pocket park with shaded gathering areas.

  • Anchored the space with a local coffee shop.

  • Created pads for rotating food trucks to keep the space dynamic and fresh.

Future Phases – Essential Retail Mix:

  • Curated a walkable mix of daily-use services: medical offices, salons, fitness studios, bodegas, and bookstores.

  • Designed all amenities to be within a 15-minute walk for most residents.

  • Sequenced openings to match population growth and maintain steady demand.

Results (Early Indicators)

  • Daily activation of the pocket park within weeks of opening.

  • Increased neighbor-to-neighbor interaction, building early social bonds.

  • Positive feedback from prospective buyers citing “walkable coffee and gathering spaces” as a top selling point.

  • Positioned the community for sustained home value growth through a retail mix that supports quality of life and long-term desirability.

Quote:
"We didn’t just open retail. We opened the heart of the neighborhood from day one." — Edie Weintraub

edie everywhere
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