Tracing the production of Mega malls
Three case studies of IlCentro, Jumbo and Itis ARK-E5007 - Urban Laboratory 2016 Chau Nguyen _ Aalto University
1. INTRODUCTION Retail poles in the metropolitan region - the influence in urban growth Mega malls - a dreamscape of visual consumption
Zukin (1992) particularly investigated the emerging of the urban landscape and the development driven by property developers who intend to construct the new landscape of power. Therefore these landscapes are the stage-sets in which consumption can take place. This led to the strategic planning for the contemporary cities which focusing strongly on vibrant and lively center for postmodern consumption. Zukin named that the city has become a “dreamscape of visual consumption” (1991, p.221).
Shopping malls have become an unintentionally public space, where stimuli dominate and influence human behavior.
Research objective
To investigate the inter-relations between mega malls and the surrounding neighbourhood. To explore the production of consuming places
2. Literature Review MEGA PROJECTS IN PLANNING • • • •
Excessive investment with high expectation about profit Private sectors play the main roles. Private sectors usually overrun costs. Environmental and social impact are usually neglected. The economic analysis and environmental impact report miscalculate and intentionally support the precedented decisions ( Flyvbjerg et al, 2003). • “Civil society does not have the same say in this arena of public life as it does in others. Megaprojects often come draped in a politics of mistrust” ( Flyvbjerg et al, 2003, pp. 3-7) • Mega malls are usually located at the fringe of the metropolitan area to assure the competitive rental price (Reimer et al, 2014)
2. Literature Review THEORIES OF RETAIL LOCATION AND DISTRIBUTION - Central Place Theory (Christaller, 1933) is still a fundamental theory which notes about laws to determine the size, location and distribution of settlements in urban hierarchy. This theory can descript the centrality of retail poles in the urban structure. However it cannot predict the emerging retail poles. Besides, it is based on an ideal flat surface and ignores the changes of shopping choices of the consumer during their shopping trip. - Spatial Interaction Theory (Reilly, 1931) states that consumers evaluate their shopping destinations, not based on shortest travel distances to the nearest source of supply like in the scenario set forth by Central Place Theory, but through a more complex process involving the weighting of alternatives (Scoppa, 2013). In addition, Space accessibility by the level of connectivity, syntactic choice and the integration.
Syntax (Hillier, 1996) analysed the
- Retail concentration enhances the shopping convenience In general, there are two types of typology for retail areas: the cluster form and the linear strip along the street. Aggregation of retails choice enhances the convenience for consumers (Cox, 1959). This theory is noted that customers prefer more choices during their shopping trip. Therefore mega malls usually have a massive and clustered structure to offer a variety of stores in purpose ( Reimers & Clulow, 2004). In the detailed level, the core area with most of stores intentionally replicates the linear form of the shopping street in the center. Thompson (1967) considered about retail concentration with the distribution of retail and non-retail function in shopping centers. Retail concentration enhances relative proximity of the shopping center (Thompson, 1967). Retail function includes the trading services and non-retail includes the public service like banking and post office.
THE PRODUCTION OF SOCIAL SPACE
In “Production of Space� Lefebvre introduces an analytical framework about socially constructed space, including spatial practice, representational space and the representations of space (1991, p.33). To clarify, representational space is the perceived space with physical elements and symbols which people can have embodied experience. Representations of space are considered as the conceptual space by professionals, for example architects use diagrams and drawings to design a building. Spatial practice relates to social behaviors in spatial design and lived experience.
3. Research question
QUESTION 1: What are the inter-relations of retail distribution and the urban structure? 1.1. Location in regional plan 1.2. Street network + Urban fabric 1.3. Analysis of regional plan + Changes in Land use plan before and after the retail development 1.4. Space Syntac analyses of connectivity, syntactic choice and integration in the distance radius of 2000 meters. QUESTION 2: How does the location influence the retail distribution in the layouts of the mega mall? 2.1. Analysis the plan layout of three mega malls 2.2 Statistic of Retail distribution QUESTION 3: How do experience and conflict influence the production of social space in the mega mall? 3.1. Lived experience by observation in mega malls. 3.2. Conflicts in the production of social space 3.3. Memories - Imagination for the future
RESEARCH METHODS • Comparative case studies - Exploratory case study is the main research method. • Sub methods include observations, interviews with officials and consumers, planning document analysis.
4.1. Three cases of mega malls IL CENTRO (Arese, Milan, Italy)
JUMBO (Pakkala, Vantaa, Finland)
ITIS (Itäkeskus, Helsinki, Finland)
Fig 1. Il Centro (Arese) in regional connectivity by author, manipulated from OpenStreet Map data
Fig 2. Jumbo (Vantaa) in regional connectivity by author, manipulated from OpenStreet Map data
Fig 3. Itäkeskus (Helsinki) in regional connectivity by author, manipulated from OpenStreet Map data
Location: Peripheral border Rural municipality
Location: Neighbourhood Sub-urban municipality
Location: Neighbourhood Metropolitan area
ILCentro in Arese is a new opening mega mall in 2016, being the largest shopping center in Italy and covering 92 000 m2.
Jumbo shopping mall was completed in 1999 and aimed to be the biggest shopping mall in Europe. Jumbo extension was opened in 2005 and the Flamingo leisure world in 2008. Leasable area in current is 86 100m2.
Itis, the largest shopping centre in Finland, opened its doors in 1984 in the eastern side of Helsinki. Recent refurbishment was finished in 2014. Leasable retail area 100 992 m2 , gross leasable retail area 117 548m2.
Jumbo is situated in Pakkala district in Vantaa which belongs to the Aviapolis sub-area.
Itis is located in Itäkeskus neighbourhood which there is a growing immigrant-background immigrants.
IL Centro is located in the former site of Alfa Romeo, in the village Valera, in the west side of Garbagnate Milanese, north along the highway going northwards to Europe.
4.2. Urban Structure
Legend
JUMBO (Pakkala, Vantaa, Finland) Administrative border Places Roads highway railway Water Transport_areas Buildings
URBAN FABRIC
IL CENTRO (Arese, Milan, Italy)
scale: 1:50000
scale: 1:25000
ITIS (Itäkeskus, Helsinki, Finland)
Lege
M B M Helsin R R W W
scale: 1:25000
Legend Legend Administrative border
STREET NETWORK
Places Vantaa Street Roads Roads highway Jumbo railway Rakennukset_alueina Water
Transport_areas Buildings
scale: 1:50000
scale: 1:25000
Legend
Administrat Places Roads Street highway Railway railway Water Water Building Transport_a scale: 1:25000 Buildings
Legend
4.3. Strategic Planning _ Land Use IL CENTRO (Arese, Milan, Italy)
JUMBO (Pakkala, Vantaa, Finland)
Milano - City of cities Redevelopment of Alfa Arese in the region
Helsinki polycentric metropolitan Development the multifunctional center in Aviapolis
Strategic planning
Administrative borderksy / yleiskaava Places ITIS (Itäkeskus, Helsinki, Finland) Roads Helsinki polycentric metropolitan highway Development in the 1960s in the Eastern center railway http://www.vanta Water Transport_areas Buildings
Perimetro Centro Storico
Lainate
Perimeter Center Built under Law 865/71 Cadastral Municipal border Wood Bushland Private garden Public park Meadow Field Uncultivated
Allotments Perimeter Center Land Built under 865/71 useLaw Analysis from Cadastral Municipal border
openstreetmap Buildings for rural use or 1:50000 rustic year 2016 scale:
Housing Green Industry
The city plan by the city of Helsinki year 1960 scale: 1:100000
Service center Housing Small houses Retail area Community management area Office - 1992 Mixed ksy / yleiskaava -yleiskaavamerkinnät housing Cementary Public Service Industry Alueen raja
LANDUSE after
LEGEND Perimeter Center Storico
LEGEND Perimeter Center Storico
The city plan by the city of Vantaa year 1992 scale: 1:200000
LANDUSE after
LANDUSE after
Land use plan by the municipality of Arese year 2009 scale: 1:50000
Servicecenter Housing Workplace Industry Maintenance service
LANDUSE before
LANDUSE before
LANDUSE before
Perimentro Centro Edificato ex Legge 865/71
The city plan by the city of Vantaa year 2007 scale: 1:100000
Page 3 of 7 Servicecenter Apartment Small houses Green
The city plan Ohjeellinen alueenby rajathe city of Helsinki year 2002 scale: 1:100000
Eri yleiskaavamääräysten alaisten alueenosien välinen raj
Wood
Public buildings
Bushland
Industrial areas
Ohjeellinen eri yleiskaavamääräysten alaisten alueenosie raja
Public park
Built-up suburban areas
Ympäristöministeriön 26.1.1995 vahvistama yleiskaava-a
Meadow
Distributors
Field
Parking lots
Uncultivated
Environmental degradation areas
Allotments
Competitive fishing lakes
Buildings for rural use or rustic
Commercial
Reforestation kaupungin Private vuoden 1992 yleiskaavasta. garden
Takaisin yleiskarttaan
http://www.vanta
SYNTACTIC CHOICE R=2km
SYNTACTIC CHOICE R=2km
SYNTACTIC CHOICE R=2km
INTEGRATION R=2km
INTEGRATION R=2km
INTEGRATION R=2km
CONNECTIVITY
5km
CONNECTIVITY
IL CENTRO (Arese, Milan, Italy)
5km
CONNECTIVITY
4.4. Spatial Connectivity JUMBO (Pakkala, Vantaa, Finland) ITIS (Itäkeskus, Helsinki, Finland)
5km
4.5. Spatial articulation of the mega malls IL CENTRO (Arese, Milan, Italy)
JUMBO (Pakkala, Vantaa, Finland)
ITIS (Itäkeskus, Helsinki, Finland)
Flamingo center (hotel, cinema and offices) 11 floors AREA GIOCO INTERN
A
BIMBI
BI
BIM CO A A GIOERN ARE EST
FONTANA DANZANTE
Flamingo
SKATE PARK
500m 5 min walking 1600m 20 min walking
Figures: Spatial diagrams manipulated from source www.centroilcentro.it LEGEND
230m 3 min walking
50m 1 min walking
Figures: Spatial diagrams manipulated from source www.jumbo.fi
Mega store
Public space
Shopping circulation
Retail stores
Parking/Open space
Parking
Non-retail service
Entrance
Bus stop
Metro station
Non-retail service includes bank, post office, healthcare, gym, carwash, office and related services.
Similar layout: • • • • •
Supermarkets of mega stores are allocated close to the parking place and vehicular access. Long arcade of shopping with high ceiling for skylight. Flexible spaces for temporary events and stalls are allocated like islands along the shopping arcade. Restaurants are gathered in a food center. There are cafes in between the shopping arcade.
Figures: Spatial diagrams manipulated from source www.itis.fi
4.6. Retail Distribution IL CENTRO (Arese, Milan, Italy)
JUMBO (Pakkala, Vantaa, Finland)
ITIS (Itäkeskus, Helsinki, Finland) FASHION DAILY GOODS & DEPARTMENT STORES RECREATION & SPORTS CHILDREN ACCESSORIES & JEWELLERY DESIGN & GIFTS
ABBIGLIAMENTO - CLOTHING CASA E ELETTRONICA - HOUSE AND ELECTRONICS SALUTE E BELLEZZA - HEALTH AND BEAUTY TEMPO LIBERO E REGALO - LEISURE AND GIFT SERVIZI – SERVICES RISTORAZIONE – FOOD IPERMERCATO – HYPERMARKET
Fig. 1.
APPLIANCES & ELECTRONICS FASHION
BEAUTY, HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
FASHION
BEAUTY & HEALTH
DEPARTMENT STORES AND DAILY CONSUMER GOODS
DAILY GOODS & &DEPARTMENT STORES RECREATION SPORTS
HOME & INTERIOR
FASHION AND CLOTHING
CHILDREN& SPORTS RECREATION
RESTAURANTS & CAFÉS & CONFECTIONERI
FREE TIME, SPORT AND TOYS
CHILDREN
LAUNDRIES, DRESSMAKER’S AND SHOEMA
HOME, INTERIOR DESIGN AND GIFTS
ACCESSORIES & &JEWELLERY APPLIANCES ELECTRONICS
BEAUTY AND HEALTH
DAILY GOODS & DEPARTMENT STORES
ACCESSORIES & JEWELLERY DESIGN & GIFTS BEAUTY & HEALTH
BANKS, CURRENCY EXCHANGE & LIVING
SERVICES
DESIGN & GIFTS
RESTAURANT
APPLIANCES & ELECTRONICS RESTAURANTS & CAFÉS & CONFECTIONERIES &PUBS
Fig. 2.
Figure 1,2,3: Retail Distribution in mega malls from collected data.
HOME & INTERIOR
DRESSMAKER’S AND SHOEMAKER’S SHOPS BEAUTYLAUNDRIES, & HEALTH BEAUTY AND HEALTH
HOME & INTERIOR
BANKS, CURRENCY EXCHANGE & LIVING
RESTAURANTS & CAFÉS & CONFECTIONERIES &PUBS LAUNDRIES, DRESSMAKER’S AND SHOEMAKER’S SHOPS AND HEALTH Fig.BEAUTY 3.
The shopping center openned its door recently in 2016. The shopping center owner ran excessivelly advertising at both national and international levels. • Retail distribution allocates a big percentage for fashion retails. • There is only one hypermarket in Il Centro. To compensate the sustainable development in the local neighbourhood, this hypermarket also provides the local farming products.
Jumbo and Il Centro have the similar structure for retail distribution. The shopping center owners combine a varied of brands in purpose. • Fashion and clothing stores take a big account in the distribution. Most of the fashion stores are located close to each other and in the core center. • The food&beverage (F&B) services are located mainly in the food court. In both Jumbo and Il Centro, F&B accounts for a similar percentage of the leasing area.
CURRENCY EXCHANGE & LIVING ItisBANKS, shopping center has operated for over 20 years from 1984. Recent renovation has been conducted from 2011-2014.
• Beside the retail function, non-retail function includes the office, healthcare center and banks. Banks and healthcare center are allocated near the metro station and close to public transportation hub. • Itis also offers more space for local services like the laundries, dressmakers and shoemakers’s service.
5.1. Experience - Memory - Imagination
Imagination- Memory
Observation
IL CENTRO (Arese, Milan, Italy)
JUMBO (Pakkala, Vantaa, Finland)
ITIS (Itäkeskus, Helsinki, Finland)
Journey to Il Centro from the center of Milano lasted nearly 2 hours with metro, bus and walking through the village of Valera. Contrast transition from Valera to Il Centro. Noise: Buzzy noise all the mega mall. Light: sun light from sky light + artificial light Visual: full of stimuli Movement: constant flow of shopping visitors. Gathering place: Playground for children + Cafes, restaurants + seating places inbetween. Public space: owned by Il Centro, no user.
Journey to Jumbo from center of Helsinki lasted 1 hour by bus and 30min by car with traffic jam. Isolated building in an outlet area. Noise: Buzzy noise + commercial music Light: sun light from sky light + artificial light Visual: full of stimuli Movement: constant flow of shopping visitors. Gathering place: Playground for children + Cafes, restaurants + seating places Public space: No public space
Journey to Itis from center of Helsinki lasted 15 min by metro. A multifunctional center in close connection with another K-Citymarket and a public library Noise: Buzzy noise + commercial music Light: sun light from sky light + artificial light Visual: full of stimuli Movement: constant flow of shopping visitors. Gathering place: Playground for children + Cafes, restaurants + seating places+ near the metro station and in the public square Public space: Tallinaukio square - a public square with outdoor marketplace.
Presentation by architects: concept about a new typology of retail design, inspiration from the piazza in Italian towns.
Interviews in Jumbo in weekdays (Oct, 2016) - Family usually visit Jumbo because of its convenience and good service in Vantaa. - Tourists in the transit time in Flamingo: a typical mall, no identity. - An old couple remembered the opening event of Jumbo and visit Jumbo every weekend. - Receptionists in Jumbo noticed the decline of visitors recently.
Interview a librarian in Stoa: good connection to Itis and metro is the advantage for the library events. Multicultural community grows. The nearby shopping center Puhos becomes more exotic. Interview the marketing manager of Itis: consideration about online shopping and mobile application for visitors. There will be more space for family in near future.
Presentation by the local politician: Opposition against the mega mall. The developers used a gap in local election to violate the legislative process. Memory about the former factory of Alfa Romeo and the deindustralization.
5.2. Conflict of interests IL CENTRO (Arese, Milan, Italy)
JUMBO (Pakkala, Vantaa, Finland)
ITIS (Itäkeskus, Helsinki, Finland)
Conflict during realization
Conflict during realization
Conflict between communities
To realise ILCentro in Arese, it takes 20 years for negotiation. The private developer has faced a strong oppostition from the local. They take advantage of a gap period in local election to get approved at the end. For inhabitants, 4.500 people sign in the petition to appeal against the project. They ask for public service not a mega mall for tourists.
The case of Jumbo exemplifies a projectoriented development and a divison between the planning and real-estate department in the city of Vantaa. Although the shopping mall’s total floor area was restricted to 45 km2 by the Ministry of the Environment in 1989, the proposal of Jumbo was 60 km2 with the 6 story parking space nearby. To defending for the project-oriented development, the real-estate department decided to denote the floor space of the actual stores only, thus allowing the total floorspace of Jumbo to be considerably bigger than the regulation (Hirvonen, 2005, p133).Â
This year Itis shopping mall organized the first Ramadan festival in Finland. It evokes different reactions from the public. Based on the survey with Muslim clients, they find it fantastic and engaging.
The developers/contractors said that the mall serves also for local inhabitants who enjoy the malls. Thereby local shops in the region have struggled to survive in the old center and run the business under pressure.
On the other hand, a populist movement named Suomi Ensin has regularly organized demonstrations in the nearby public space. These demonstrations reflect the contradicting opinions about multicultural policy in Itis shopping center.
6. Findings - Thompson (1967) mentioned about the location of retails place influenced by institutional decisions more than theories about consumer behaviors or their purchasing choice. It reflects apparently in the case of Il Centro and Jumbo. As the mega malls were planned by the developers with lobbying process in the gap of local governance. These stripped malls along the highway are based on the competitive land price rather than the need of local residents. Consequently, the non-resident trade or purchase by non-local residents (Thompson,1967) takes a significant account for the revenue of these mega malls along the highway. - Spatial theories can only prevail the existing impact on urban structure. Space syntax can be a decision support tool to predict the emerging retail poles with high grade of accessibility and connectivity. However, the case of Il Centro illustrates the distorted decision with the poor connection and in the segregated structure with non-retail based communities. On the other hand, the retail development needs to be integrated with the infrastructure development. As Itakeksus has been developed in a connected transportation system, the mega mall gradually becomes a new urban center. For further development, Jumbo also needs further investment in the infrastructure. - At the detailed level, the spatial layout of mega malls are similar. They have an assimilate practice and policies to comfort shopping experience. What makes the difference is the encountering experience of the shopping trip. For Itakeskus, it becomes more urban with the square and metro station nearby. The outdoor space of Jumbo is in a poor quality. Il Centro is totally isolated without direct public transportation. The developers in Arese invested in the outdoor design for marketing. However they are deserted without public life. - Thompson (1967) mentioned about the rising of value-based activities when people have more leisure time and income. In the interview with the manager of Itis, she also mentioned about the experience marketing with mobile application for revisited customers. When the visitors get back into Itis, the mega mall can instantly suggest the habitual offers. In that sense, ICT development can personalize shopping experience, thus putting the consumers constantly under surveillance. - Digital space can also affect the size of the retail centers in the near future. As a consequence, the spatial layout of the mega mall would be adjusted with more non-retail functions and diversify shopping experience with non-shopping activities. In three malls, they all offer family-based space. - The Production of space as a systematic method to study social phenomenon in spatial settlements. Tracing the production of mega malls in three layers of conceptual space ( in strategic planning and the spatial analysis of planning documents; the physical space by observation and analysis the detailed design with elements and spatial articulation; the lived experience in places with pluralistic situations.
7. Discussion
- There is a need for more research on the influence of mega malls to the forming of social identity. On one hand, the mega mall management board intend to confirm the security and high revenue for their stores. Their interests are broader than the consumer behavior and social identity of the local community. In case of Itis, the board can appeal against the demonstrating activities in the nearby square. Public life exists in mega malls in a sanitized form under the surveillance. On the other hand, mega malls offer convenience and facilities for diverse interests. There will be more combinations of cultural and commercial spaces. In Itis, the local librarians take advantages of the mega shopping center to run the introduction events for the elderly and immigrant-background people. - Institutional structure influences the retail development stronger. How to study the planning process and power relations? - For spatial design, it raises the question about how digital technology will liberate some functional requirements. Can it become more flexible and temporal based on a digital platform? Does space still matter and in which dynamics? How do people perceive the emerging public space with agonistic conflicts, pluralistic interests and multilocality?
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