what happen to the commercial strip

[nec209]

Does anyone here know what happen to the commercial strip they seem to have moved on to the box stores and power centers than the commercial strip and I don't mean store-front commercial strip but store commercial strip.

Like this that goes on and on for some city blocks in straight commercial strip some on both sides of the road .

http://www.dkolb.org/sprawlingplaces/images/fullsize/spr.strip.pei.jpg

Photo from http://www.dkolb.org/sprawlingplaces/generalo/placesto/thestrip.html
web site sprawlingplaces
By David Kolb



http://www.westcoastroads.com/california/images075/ca-086_nb_el_centro_10.jpg
Photo from WestCoastRoads.com
WestCoastRoads.com is an effort of road enthusiasts Alex Nitzman and Andy Field to cover the highway system of the Pacific Coast states. Here you will find photos and information involving highway history, select construction projects, and guides to cover various Interstates, U.S.


Note not too many suburbs in the Toronto area seem to be into commercial strip :shrug:

[vid]

You scared it away. :(

[Windex]

One could hope that it was a realization of how much of a blight commercial strips like these are, although the pessimist in me has me thinking it's got more to do with Power Centres and Big Box stores being able to house the massive amounts of cars that most people like to jaunt around in.

In any case, I'm not going to mourn them.

[LordMandeep]

true in Brampton the whole main street is a commerical strip and really they don't have much parking and thats what those strips have declined greatly..

[vid]

The strips do have parking, it just isn't convenient enough. Usually you end up parking behind the business you're going to or across the street or something.

Toronto's suburbs probably are too new to have them, commercial strips are something from the late 40s to early 70s, before indoor malls and power centres really caught on. The whole layout of Toronto's modern suburbs really isn't ideal for it, anyway.

[nec209]

I don't what to generalize saying they don't build commercial strips anymore but some how I have feeling and I may be wrong but they are more into power centres or box stores.

Well Main street and Queen street have commercial strips ..


And in Mississauga along Dundas street and Queensway .Also Hurontairo street..

[nec209]

Here are some pictures to show you the strip using wikimapia maps.


http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/1333/01cu2.jpg

http://img460.imageshack.us/img460/3281/02cf5.jpg

http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/42/03tg5.jpg

http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/4117/04pi3.jpg

[vid]

Yes, those are called Commercial strips. They're generally located on main streets and access corridors. Your point?

[Tony]

I just like how he uses Wikimapia instead of Google Map. It's like citing stuff from some guy's essay instead of the actual encyclopedia in front of you.:haha:

[204]

Note not too many suburbs in the Toronto area seem to be into commercial strip :shrug:

Point?

[nec209]

I just wanted to make sure I'm right and commercial strips are of the old days and now they are into power centers and box stores.

I'm just making sure.

The thing is about commercial strips like in the above photos is each store is by it self and almost at the street .Also because its only one store they can use a small parking lot same like very small strip plazas with many small strip plazas lined up on a commercial strip.

I believe the point of power centers and box stores is to have many stores thus there is need for a very big parking lot.

[waterloowarrior]

read the book I recommended in a few of your other threads.. it will really help answer your questions and give an idea of the history behind different styles of development

[nec209]

I was talking to someone to day and they are saying commercial strips are from the 20's 30's and 40's and in the 50' 60's and 70's malls and strip plazas .

And 80's and 90's power centers .And no city to day builds commercial strips.

Anyways is this true or is he wrong?

[Tony]

Commercial strips in most towns usually date back to the late 1800's to the 40s. Plazas & Malls 50-80s, Power Centres mid-80's to present.

[nec209]

Why did they stop building commercial strips? I can see why they don't build store-fronts but why commercial strips?

Dit it have some thing to do with all pro car use in the 50's ??

[vid]

Yes, and people have shifted their buying trends from commercial strips to indoor malls to power centres.

[Tony]

oops, I just realized what you meant by "commercial strip", I thought you meant commercial blocks such as typical downtowns. The commercial strips as shown in the initial post date back to the 50's-70's.

[nec209]

So it should be some think like this ???:shrug:

-store-fronts before the 40's
-commercial strip 40's to 50's
-Plazas and Malls 50's to 80
-box-stores,power centers 85 to now.

[Gerrard]

Kennedy Road in Scarborough On is one huge and weirdly celebrated commercial strip. Also Barrie ON.

[vid]

Barrie is a commercial strip? :P

[Cambridgite]

Has anyone ever been to the monstrousity of Hespeler Road in Cambridge? Some of the earlier developments on it take on the strip format, but it's mostly a long row of consecutive strip malls. It's anchored by a power center at the north end (by the 401) and a regional mall (Cambridge Centre) to the south. Even though it takes on mostly the new format of retailing, it's still a strip, right? :shrug:

[vid]

That's similar to Memorial and Fort William roads here, they started as a commercial strip but over time businesses and whole areas are torn down and replaced by power centres and strip malls. It also has a large shopping centre and a power centre anchoring one end.

[nec209]

That's similar to Memorial and Fort William roads here, they started as a commercial strip but over time businesses and whole areas are torn down and replaced by power centres and strip malls. It also has a large shopping centre and a power centre anchoring one end.

It is not a strip but a hybrid strip we have this in the east in of Brampton.

Here is a map from wikipedia I took.

http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/4807/pic1tj5.jpg

Queen from Torbram to Gateway Blvd it is hybrid strip because plaza at Queen and Torbram and than each stor by it self like the classic strip north side of Queen from Torbram to Gateway .And a power center at Queen and Gateway Blvd south side.

http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/6923/pic2ui0.jpg

Other part of the strip Queen from Gateway Blvd to Airport RD.Both power centers on both sides going from Queen from Gateway Blvd to Airport RD.

And a new power center under way not on the map at Queen and Airport RD in that empty space.


Here is some more maps to help.
http://img480.imageshack.us/img480/9809/pic3cm4.jpg


http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/4947/pic4xe7.jpg

You can tell where the power centers are it has this feel drive in and pull in and you will see many small or big box stores in the parking lot.

And than the classic strip where by each store is by it self and almost at the street and like almost no green.The only thing about this strip is it is more pulled back and more green so must of bean build after the 50's:shrug:

So it has this mix store-strip,plaza and power centers.You find many fast food stores on this strip.


On the last note fill in that open space with apartments :(

http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/4807/pic1tj5.jpg

And the areas is so new you will NOT find any store-fronts.:eek:Note it is only last 5 years this section is under big time construction of power centers well before not many plazas and store-strips but there are many stores coming to this area and if they keep on doing it I would say they have just many as trinity at 410 and Bovaird !!

[vid]

One of your power centres appears to be a logistics facility... :hmmm:

[nec209]

Ya the line should just go up some .It is pointing to building on a street south of Queen:(

[nec209]

And when did Heart Lake area and the Bartley Bull area was development .

[LordMandeep]

that power center you picked in the first one is a nestle building.


Yeah i live 5 mins from that area. Yep it has every store.

Rona, Canadian tire, Wal-mart, Home Depot, Staples

[OrientExpress]

Big boxes killed the commercial strip.

[nec209]

Big boxes killed the commercial strip.

how so from my undertanding box stores came in the late 80's.In Toronto they came in the 90's.

Malls 60's and 70's to late 80's.And store fronts before the 50's .

By commercial strip I'm talking about signal store and some cases a signal plaz on slab by the road .Parking in front or back but small lot and store almost at the street.

[nec209]

Come on where are the replies I want to mark this thread self and move on :shrug: