Concurrent Education Session

WED-B04: Rethinking the Retail Experience: Meeting the next Generation of Consumer Approval

Wednesday, October 9, 2024

10:15am – 11:30am ET

Location: Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Room 146A

1.25 PDH, LA CES/HSW, AIA/HSW, AICP, NY/HSW, FL

Lead Speaker(s)

Joseph J. Plumpe, ASLA

President, Principal Landscape Architect
STUDIO39 Landscape Architecture, P.C.
Alexandria, Virginia

Session Guide

Speaker(s)

Richard G. Cataffa

Senior Director, Design
Federal Realty
Reisterstown, Maryland
Geoff Sharpe, ASLA

Vice President
Federal Realty Investment Trust
N. Bethesda, Maryland

Over the past decade, the commercial retail sector has evolved, shaping design and construction strategies that are key to creating successful retail experiences. Economic shifts have firmly placed landscape architects into the “placemaking” spotlight. This engaging session will demonstrate how design influences business decisions and ultimately the final design and human experience.

Learning Outcomes:

Understand the design and development process, the developer-landscape architect relationship, and key design principles that shape the reimagining of retail environments.
Examine the design anatomy of retail centers and the key factors essential for successful projects, considering perspectives from both developers and landscape architects.
Discover the evolving retail dialogues post-pandemic and anticipate future trends beyond mere shopping experiences. Embrace the creation of inclusive destinations while fulfilling essential functions.
Learn to prioritize experiences that transcend mere transactions. Explore event space programming designed to meet the users’ social, physical, and emotional needs.