7. Tempe Marketplace in Tempe, AZ
Cool Points: 3 out of 5
Online: http://www.tempemarketplace.com/

I’ve been looking forward to this development for a long time, and now that it is here, I am underwhelmed. What bothers me the most about this place is that it the big block retailers (in lighter blue along the bottom of the image) are separated by a massive parking lot from the more pedestrian-friendly shopping area (dark blue). When you visit Tempe Marketplace, you pretty much have to choose which place you’re going to shop. There’s no attempt to connect the two types of shopping. No crosswalks, no bridges, no nothing. Just a car-pedestrian incident waiting to happen.

Tempe Marketplace in Tempe, AZ

Another problem with the big box retailers is that they punish the good vibes of Rio Salado Parkway. The drive from the nearby Mill Avenue shopping district on Rio Salado Parkway is a lot of fun. You get views of the Tempe Town Lake, “A” Mountain, the ASU Sun Devil Stadium, and the greens of Karsten Golf Course. The whole scenic drive turns bad once you cross McClintock and arrive at Tempe Marketplace. You’re now in a back alley.

On a visual note, I don’t think this place will weather well with time. Its full of visual excitement and hype at the moment, but this whole circus of color could get real tacky real fast.

What keeps me from giving this place a 1 or a 2 is that it is built on what used to be a toxic dump that existed beneath a patchwork of unkept businesses, junkyards, and other eyesores. If the developers didn’t come in and clean up the mess, who would have? Plus, I give extra points to developers who invest in infill projects. You don’t have to go to the far edges of town to build something new for the community.

8. DC Ranch Market Street
Scottsdale, AZ
Cool Points: 5 out of 5
Online: http://www.beonmarketstreet.com/welcome/index.php, more on DC Ranch http://www.dcranch.com/

DC Ranch

Although this is a significantly smaller project than the others that I’ve featured here, DC Ranch’s Market Street in North Scottsdale is brilliant. Without Market Street, the communities of Silverleaf and DC Ranch would feel like lifeless suburbs pressed against the base of a mountain.

The creative team behind Market Street incorporated every detail that makes a shopping area livable:

  • Narrow streets paved with bricks
  • Parks with benches, tables, and umbrellas
  • String lights
  • Statues and fountains
  • Sidewalks with shade
  • Street-side parking
  • Regional architecture
  • Unobtrusive signage
  • Native plants
  • Covered bridges
  • Unique retailers

Market Street at DC Ranch

Not only is it a charming gateway for the homeowners in the McDowell Mountains, Marketstreet is a destination for anyone in the city looking for something creative to do with their afternoon. I know the last sentence sounded like I work for a marketing company, but sometimes the hype is the truth.

9. Victoria Gardens, Rancho Cucamonga, California
Cool points: 5 out of 5
Online: http://www.victoriagardensie.com/Earlier this month I made a trip to Rancho Cucamonga in inland Southern California. A group of us had lunch at a restaurant in the Victoria Gardens, a shopping center designed to look and operate like a classic downtown: tidy storefronts with wide sidewalks lined with broad leaf tree and classic street lamps. Cafes and coffee shops were spaced strategically throughout the center to give shoppers a place to relax and enjoy people watching.

Victoria Gardens in Rancho, CA

Notice the fountains, plants, lights, and harmonious storefronts.

If you take a close look at the image below you can see that North Main Street and South Main Street allow shoppers to cruise a little bit before they decide to shop.

Victoria Gardens in Rancho Cucamonga, CA

How you park matters. I’m not promoting the idea that “you are what you drive”, but part of the fun of owning a stylish car is that people get to see you in it. It’s the same reason you like to be seen when you are wearing your best clothes. You feel good because you look your best. One of the biggest let-downs of owning my first new car after college was that nobody ever saw me in it. It was just me, one dude driving back and forth between my apartment and work. People like the occasion to show off their car. This is the primary reason why people use valet. The reason every other video on MTV features a rapper getting out of his car in front of a sidewalk full of people is because we all think it’s cool!

Practically speaking, street-side parking can’t accommodate the horde of people you want to attact to you shopping center. Victoria springs tucked the useful acreage on the outskirts of “downtown.”

When you put all of this together, Victoria Gardens had the same utility as a typical shopping mall, but without the icky feelings of commercial claustrophobia. Impressive!