Commercializing the Landscape

Edward T. McMahon, a senior resident fellow at the Urban Land Institute, thinks not. He says that the Apple Store is an example of a pervasive sameness of the landscape that is erasing the differences between American cities and towns:

"Over the past 40 years America's commercial landscape has progressed from unique to uniform, from the stylized to the standardized."

"To foster a sense of place, communities must plan for built environments and settlement patterns that are uplifting and memorable -- and that create a special feeling of belonging and stewardship by residents."