Mixed Use & Retail Centers
We design amenity-rich, mixed-use destinations and retail centers that foster shared experiences and community. As vibrant social hubs, these integrated mixed-use developments can connect people and experiences and breathe new life into cities.
China Merchants Group Garden City, Shanghai, China
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Mixed-use has both the broadest capability and the most opportunity to bring people together in a robust way. You need to have that variety and diversity of uses, people, and experiences to be able to give people a reason to show up.
—J.F. Finn, Mixed Use & Retail Centers leader
27 Items
Tallinn Tower
Tallinn, Estonia
Gensler’s design proposal for Tallinn Tower, which earned second place in an international architecture competition, showcases an innovative vision for urban living, working, and gathering in the heart of Estonia’s capital.
Rams Village at Warner Center
Woodland Hills, California
With the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams training facility as an anchor, this mixed-use development offers a modern lifestyle where athletes, residents, and visitors can live, work, and play.
West Edge
Los Angeles, California
West Edge defines what a live, work, and play environment can embody on LA’s west side, as one of the area's first mixed-use, transit-oriented developments.
Reimagining North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois
Gensler and a team of key real estate leaders studied the innovations and interventions that could elevate the North Michigan Avenue experience.
UnCommons
Las Vegas, Nevada
UnCommons is a 40-acre mixed-use community in Las Vegas, designed to foster meaningful relationships, innovation, and vibrant communities.
Caolu Garden City
Shanghai, China
The Shanghai mixed-use development Caolu Garden City is a dynamic hub that blends commerce, business, and residence, and caters to a multi-generational audience
The Highlight at Houston Center
Houston, Texas
The Highlight at Houston Center comes to life as a dining, retail, and entertainment destination in the central business district.
1001 Tower Master Plan
West Palm Beach, Florida
1001 Tower aspires to serve as an iconic gateway into West Palm Beach, piercing the skyline of Okeechobee Boulevard with a clear marker of the city entrance.
Fifth + Broadway
Nashville, Tennessee
Fifth + Broadway reenergizes downtown Nashville with a dynamic, live-work mixed-use district that features retail, restaurants, Class A office space, and more.
The Hub on Causeway
Boston, Massachusetts
In collaboration with Boston Properties and Delaware North Companies, Gensler designed The Hub on Causeway — a mixed-use development at the Boston Garden.
CEC Vanke Shenzhen Bay Headquarters
Shenzhen, China
China Electronics Corporation’s Shenzhen Bay headquarters creates a vibrant and connected vertical urban community where workplace blends seamlessly with leisure, hospitality, culture, technology, entertainment, and nature.
1 St. Clair West
Toronto, Ontario
After determining that demolishing 1 St. Clair West was not viable, Slate Asset Management enlisted Gensler to reposition it as a mixed-use development.
DraftKings Sportsbook
Chicago, Illinois
DraftKings Sportsbook is a new facet in Wrigleyville’s entertainment complex adjacent to historic Wrigley Field, the iconic home of the Chicago Cubs.
The Residences at Rivermark
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
The Residences at Rivermark is a transformative project in the beating heart of downtown Baton Rouge’s growing and dynamic cultural scene.
The Central Park
Phoenix, Arizona
The Central Park is designed to be a catalytic mixed-use development for midtown Phoenix that weaves together a sense of community, engagement, style, and an adventurous spirit, offering a rich experience for tenants, residents, and visitors.
Fields West Master Plan
Frisco, Texas
Fields West is one of three mixed-used development districts planned for Frisco’s more than 2,500-acre Fields development.
Gateway
Newark, New Jersey
In an effort to propel Newark’s revitalization, Onyx Equities partnered with Gensler to reimagine Gateway, a tired office complex built in the 1970s.
The Bon
Boston, Massachusetts
Located in a vibrant Boston neighborhood and adjacent to mass transit, The Bon is designed as a new paradigm for purpose-built, multi-unit housing.
100 Stockton
San Francisco, California
100 Stockton Street is a repositioning project of the former Macy’s Men’s Store, located steps from the iconic Union Square in San Francisco.
Twenty by Six
San Diego, California
Twenty by Six is an amenity-rich office building in downtown San Diego offering tenants alternate places to work and a strong connection to the surrounding outdoors.
1364ah Lifestyle Center
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Gensler’s design for a vibrant mixed-use development, 1364ah Lifestyle Center, captures Riyadh’s existing essence as foundation for a fast-growing population.
Lumina Shanghai
Shanghai, China
Situated in Shanghai’s Xuhui district, Henderson Land Group’s new commercial office building Lumina Shanghai anchors the DreamCenter, an emerging commercial and business hub.
Pursuit Center
Houston, Texas
Pursuit Center worked with Gensler to design its Houston campus that supports the nonprofit’s mission to create a welcoming environment for its clients.
2100 Kettner
San Diego, California
2100 Kettner is a six-story mixed-use development located in Little Italy near the San Diego waterfront, designed by Gensler as a destination for office tenants and the surrounding community.
730 Third Avenue
New York, New York
Nuveen Real Estate and development advisor Taconic Partners enlisted Gensler to transform 730 Third Avenue—TIAA’s headquarters since the 1950s—into a sophisticated Class A office and retail building.
Manchester Pacific Gateway
San Diego, California
The Manchester Pacific Gateway development celebrates San Diego as a dynamic cosmopolitan city and enhances the region as a livable, pedestrian-oriented...
Suzhou Zhongnan Center
Suzhou, China
Upon its completion, the Suzhou Zhongnan Center will stand at 499 meters tall, offering impressive views of Jinji Lake and Suzhou's skyline.
INSIGHTS
Research
City Pulse 2025
Gensler surveyed 33,000 people across 65 cities to uncover what makes a city magnetic — how it attracts new residents and keeps them wanting to stay.
Blog
Latin American Malls: The New Town Square
Malls across Central and South America are layered, experience-rich destinations that bring people together.
Blog
The Future of Mixed-Use Communities in Phoenix
Phoenix is well positioned for continued expansion, capitalizing on new technologies, sustainable practices, and architectural innovation.
Blog
The Evolving Role of Hotels in Retail-Driven Mixed-Use Environments
Hotels within mixed use developments are becoming curated retail destinations and dynamic contributors to a vibrant urban experience.
Blog
The New Experiential Hybrid
The New Hybrid experience brings together the robust attributes of commerce, culture, and leisure, and recalibrates the urban experience.
Blog
What Do Consumers Want? Gensler’s U.S. Consumer Experience Report Uncovers Key Insights
Gensler’s latest consumer research delves into how design can impact human experiences for the better.
Blog
The Future Is Mixed Use: How Principles of Mixed Use Design Will Restore Our Communities
Here are four principles for creating mixed-use environments that will future-proof real estate.
Research
U.S. Consumer Experience Report 2024
We integrated the perspectives of over 2,000 U.S.-based consumers with the latest thinking from our Design Leaders to gain fresh insights on what makes a great consumer experience worth it.
Blog
Trends to Watch: The Future of Cities Relies on Multiuse Districts
Gensler’s Mixed Use & Retail Centers leaders discuss the opportunities shaping the future of cities and multiuse districts.
Blog
What Two Mixed-Use Districts Reveal About Successful Retail and Placemaking
Lessons from two mixed-use destinations in Texas reinforce the value of adaptability and careful placemaking for large, retail-centered developments.
Blog
Reimagining North Michigan Avenue: A New Era for Chicago’s High Street
Gensler’s study envisions a series of interventions to create an engaging experience on one of the world’s most iconic high streets.
Blog
What’s the Recipe for Retail Success? Food
With a heightened consumer appetite for engaging social spaces, food and beverage are key ingredients for physical retail viability.
Blog
From Skyline to Shoreline: A Vision for Mixed-Use Spaces in Miami
Miami stands on the brink of an urban renaissance, with the potential to model a visionary urban landscape that champions sustainability, resilience, and vibrancy.
Blog
Reimagining Public Space in the Mixed-Use Indian Landscape
As integrated townships in India increase in popularity, we have an opportunity to create functional and resilient public spaces that increase community well-being.
Blog
Now More Than Ever, Quality of Place Matters
Thoughtful, strategic placemaking will ensure successful investments in truly durable places within our cities.
Trends in Mixed Use & Retail Centers
CBDs discover new life as mixed-use lifestyle districts.
Transit-oriented, mixed-use districts with a mix of housing, retail, hospitality, entertainment, and well-programmed public space will reinvigorate struggling central business districts.
Public-private partnerships and strategic placemaking revive cities.
Mixed-use developments that include public realm improvements will help city governments unlock land-use potential and transform automobile-centric, under-invested districts into more inclusive, accessible, and pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods.
Mixed-use developments bring urban life to university towns.
As developers continue to work with universities to create mixed-use communities around campus, these efforts will offer small college towns the type of vibrancy and urban amenities normally found in larger city centers.
MIXED USE & RETAIL CENTERS LEADERSHIP
J.F. Finn, III
Mixed Use & Retail Centers Leader, Principal
J.F. Finn, III is a global leader in Gensler’s Mixed Use & Retail Centers practice, based in our Los Angeles office.
David Glover
Mixed Use & Retail Centers Leader
David Glover is a global leader of Gensler’s Mixed Use & Retail Centers practice with more than 35 years of multi-disciplinary design and planning expertise to his experience-driven architecture.
Duncan Paterson
Mixed Use & Retail Centers Leader, Studio Leader, Design Director, Principal
Duncan Paterson is Gensler’s Global Mixed Use & Retail Centers Leader who has devoted more than 30 years to creating vibrant, experience-driven architecture.
NEWS
In The Media
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Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times Shared Plans for the Rams’ New Headquarters as Part of a Mixed-Use Development at Warner Center
Gensler Principal Eric Stultz was interviewed, along with Rams’ owner Stan Kroenke, Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, and other partners, about Rams Village, which will anchor the $10 billion mixed-use development in the San Fernando Valley.
April 06, 2025
In The Media
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CNN Business
CNN Business Spotlights Gensler’s Vision for Reinventing Malls to Meet Gen Z’s Retail Expectations
The feature explores the reinvention of malls, with Gensler’s David Glover sharing insights on Gen Z’s demand for experiential retail and design trends.
February 21, 2025
In The Media
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The Architect’s Newspaper
Gensler Leads the Transformation of Chicago’s North Michigan Avenue
Gensler’s vision improves pedestrian access by broadening sidewalks to create space for food and beverage kiosks, lighting fixtures, public art, green space, and stages for street performances.
July 15, 2024
In The Media
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The Dallas Morning News
Gensler Will Design the 35-Acre Prosper Arts District in North Texas
Dallas Principal Barry Hand shared how the master-planned development will redefine mixed-use living and community engagement in North Texas.
June 18, 2024
In The Media
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Interior Design
The Mart Featured in Interior Design’s List of Six “Projects That Channel Their Locations Perfectly”
Gensler’s renovation of The Mart in Chicago enlarges and enhances the outdoor public plaza and reimagines 200,000 square feet on the first two levels.
April 24, 2024
In The Media
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NHL.com
The Coyotes’ Vision to “Transform the Arizona Skyline” With a Landmark Development
NHL.com spotlighted the Arizona Coyotes’ proposal for an unrivaled, privately funded sports, lifestyle, and entertainment district, designed by Gensler with AECOM Hunt.
April 05, 2024
In The Media
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Atlanta Business Chronicle
Centennial Yards To Begin Next Phase of Downtown Redevelopment
Atlanta Business Chronicle detailed the next phase of the Gensler and SHAPE-designed Centennial Yards Entertainment District in Downtown Atlanta.
March 25, 2024
In The Media
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Houston Chronicle
Gensler, Pagewood, and Wile Interests Partner to Create a Mixed-Use District in Houston’s East Downtown
Gensler partnered with Pagewood and Wile Interests to create a master plan for ten underutilized industrial warehouses. East Blocks will feature open green spaces, restaurants, walking paths, and bike lines that lead to trails.
November 13, 2023
In The Media
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Fast Company
Here’s Why “Hybrid Workers Are Actually a Big Part of the Reason Downtowns Are Hanging On”
Fast Company spotlighted Gensler’s City Pulse report and explained why hybrid workers are spending more time in CBDs outside of working hours — and opting to work at third spaces in downtowns rather than at home.
November 02, 2023
In The Media
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Urbanize LA
Gensler is Designing Hollywood’s New Sunset & Highland Mixed-Use Tower Complex
The tower complex will include residential, hotel, and retail space, as well as landscaped amenity decks and parking that will be convertible for future uses.
October 09, 2023
In The Media
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RICS
Gensler’s Design of The Hub on Causeway is “a Catalyst for Regeneration in Boston”
Gensler Studio Director Chris Haynes explained how the mixed-use development project has elevated the area “as an entertainment district where people could live, work, and play.”
July 04, 2023
In The Media
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Texas Real Estate Business
How to Curate Unique Retail Experiences in Post-Pandemic Mixed-Use Environments
Gensler Studio Director Barry Hand shared insights on planning and designing commercial placemaking in post-pandemic mixed-use environments.
May 01, 2023
In The Media
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Urban Land Institute
The Rising Trend of Retail-to-Residential Conversions
Gensler’s Barry Hand explained how in order to sustain malls, such as MainPlace Mall in Santa Ana, Calif., they “should be embedded in a mix of activated, walkable uses.”
February 27, 2023
In The Media
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Building Design
Building Design Ranked Gensler the #1 Firm on Its 2023 World Architecture 100 Survey
Gensler also ranked #1 in Hospitality, Mixed Use, Offices, Retail, Science & Technology, Senior Living, Sports, and Transportation.
January 23, 2023
In The Media
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AIA Middle East
Two Gensler Middle East Projects Win 2022 AIA Middle East Design Awards
AIA Middle East Design Awards honored Gensler Middle East for its design of the 1364ah Lifestyle Center project in Riyadh, as well as a Confidential Financial Services HQ in Dubai.
December 13, 2022
In The Media
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Nashville Tennessean
The Contemporary Architecture That’s Remaking Downtown Nashville
Nashville Tennessean interviewed Christopher Goggin about the contemporary Nashville architecture that is introducing experience-driven destinations at the ground level.
November 21, 2022