Continuing the theme of creating and invigorating identity in a given area; consider the impact of a building's storefront on the pedestrian experience, and the bottom line of the shop owner. Laurence Aurbach summarizes the major points of good storefront design in this article at pedshed.net. In fact, the topic is so important to at least one city, that they've developed a complete guide targeted at shop and building owners looking to capture passing foot traffic. This guide is part of the larger business development program which aims to teach small business owners the technical and funding skills required for success.
A developer driven program to include great storefronts need not add tremendous cost, but it can help your building stand out among many and/or help your neighborhood become a retail and shopping destination which further elevates the rent. Also, with more successful retail spaces the risk of vacancy is greatly reduced.
