First in a series...

The Changing Culture of Consumers and Community
by Gary Chilutti

While Lansdowne has many unique and wonderful assets that make this very special, rising arts town what many call the 'Jewel of Delaware County,' the forces that led to the change in its economy and its rebirth are quite common.

The aftermath of World War II saw a tremendous shift in the American landscape--economically, politically and geographically. The GI Bill encouraged and provided financial incentives for returning vets and their young families to move to newly-created suburbs beyond established first generation suburban communities such as Lansdowne. The emerging Interstate highway system provided access to these newly-created residential developments. A new retail ethic grew around these: the shopping mall and, later the 'big box' stores. Rising population in these areas caused a resultant shift in politically-driven public policy around and resource allocation to these areas.

Where a 'build it and they will come' logic applied to anchor community retail establishments such as 'mom and pop', independently-owned hardware, clothing, drug and furniture stores stores, a new breed of retail creature emerged: the shopping mall, offering convenience, diversity and volume on an unprecedented scale. Later, the chain establishments (the 'big boxes') such as K-Mart, Wal-Mart and Home Depot, offered product array and pricing with which smaller stores found it hard to compete.

Also at play was a 'one-size-fits-all-I-can-be-anywhere-and-still-be-at-home' trend, responding to a desire--to varying degrees on the parts of both the retailer and customer--that led to something now known as the 'sameness syndrome'. In Philadelphia? San Francisco? Minneapolis? The same establishments with the same layouts and product offering were readily available, avoiding disorientation for a growing and increasingly mobile nation.

And yet, while the objective of consistency, volume and size were achieved with ever-expanding malls and 'bedroom' communities, almost imperceptively, something of far greater value was being lost: a sense of community, of place of uniqueness. These were the first casualties of the mega commercial and residential developments. No longer were customer and retailer known to one another. Common bonds of living in or owning a business in a community were dwindling. No longer were there walkable communities as sidewalks became a quaint anachronism. Municipalities and local planning bodies, eager to generate tax ratables and constituency were complicit in this scenario.

Gradually, however, these core elements of community life were being noticed. As small retail establishments, along with larger employers, left communities like Lansdowne for greener, tax-subsidized pastures, retail, industrial and, eventually, residential vacancies and underutilization began to emerge. Small downtowns lost their retail base and properties across the board became devalued. It became difficult to attract reputable operators to a depleted marketplace. Great changes were coming. It would take decades before comprehensive, successful responses to these changing dynamics would emerge.

Next time: Change begins.