Why are there no discount department stores and no power centers in San Francisco? (homes, shopping mall)

[the city]

Why are there no discount department stores and no power centers in San Francisco County/City?

I noticed that the city has a lifestyle center, two enclosed regional malls, theme/festival center, downtown fashion district, and are now building a outlet center.

Is this city just really big on smart-growth, and being an upscale tourist city?

Also, where is the Costco in the city located? Is that in a power center or community center?

[mdwstrnkid]

There is a Costco at 10th and Harrison in SOMA. That's the only one in the city proper. There are also a couple of locations in South City (one near SFO on South AIrport Boulevard and the other off Hickey on El Camino Real).

[bellalunatic]

Yes, SF is big on independent businesses in general.
It is an older city too, not like lots of other places. There really isn't anywhere to build those god awful 'power centers' and seriously they aren't exactly powerful lately anyway if you look at the rest of the mccookiecutter big box anytown USA 'planners' wet dreams that are going dark.
Dead mall anyone?

[18Montclair]

What's a Power Center?

[bellalunatic]

Here, it's basically planning development "lingo": (you know try to sound like the cool kids and maybe it'll be cool...

Sustainable Land Development Today - Urban sprawl spreads into slang (http://www.sldtonline.com/content/view/374/80/ - broken link)

Quoted from the above link:
A "power center" is a collection of "big box" buildings - Hayden uses Wal-Marts as examples - that "destroy shopping malls as well as main streets" all across the country. A "stretch mall" is a power center that can be a couple of miles long.

Too often, for developers, the goal is to "build it, make your money and drive away," Hayden said. The result is "a landscape based on the idea of unrestrained growth" and architecture that only "reflects commercial interests."

[18Montclair]

^ Oh.

That doesnt make sense for SF. Too much wasted land for parking spaces.

[bellalunatic]

Here's an idea:
US cities may have to be bulldozed in order to survive - Telegraph

[the city]

Too much of anything can harm someone. Too much urban sprawl, too much development, too many strip malls, and too many upscale stores can be bad. Those are reasons for our hurting economy. Hopefully, soon that the economy will recover in late 2010 and homes and shopping centers and malls will be filled again.

[18Montclair]

Originally Posted by the city

Too much of anything can harm someone. Too much urban sprawl, too much development, too many strip malls, and too many upscale stores can be bad. Those are reasons for our hurting economy. Hopefully, soon that the economy will recover in late 2010 and homes and shopping centers and malls will be filled again.

But there are lots of places near SF that offer "Power Centers"-maybe not Super Wal Marts but certainly huge strip malls with box stores. The City itself doesnt necessarily need them as well.

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by the city

Why are there no discount department stores and no power centers in San Francisco County/City?

I noticed that the city has a lifestyle center, two enclosed regional malls, theme/festival center, downtown fashion district, and are now building a outlet center.

Is this city just really big on smart-growth, and being an upscale tourist city?

Also, where is the Costco in the city located? Is that in a power center or community center?

450 10th Street.

Really amazing that you know all these cool words for shopping, and yet can't use a search engine to get to the Costco store locator.....