https://foodtank.com/news/2018/07/begree...ood-waste/

Quote:BeGreen, a startup company in Belo Horizonte in Brazil, is producing fresh and organic produce inside the city’s main shopping center.

Giuliano Bittencourt and Pedro Graziano launched BeGreen with the goal of producing sustainable and healthy food for the urban community, while simultaneously reducing the amount of food wasted along the supply chain. The urban farm uses hydroponic methods to grow fresh and organic produce and sells it locally.

Food travels a long distance from farmer to consumer in Brazil, a major inefficiency in their food system. An estimated 80 percent of all agricultural production in Brazil is lost during transportation. Along with this tremendous quantity of wasted edible food, there are additional transportation costs resulting in increased greenhouse gas emissions. BeGreen is a response to these inefficiencies.

I like it.....

I'm no farmer. but if you get the filtration and indoor enviro right, it makes sense....

that one could explode if done correctly in urban centers....

I am still a bit bullish on malls. I think that there will always be malls, just not as many of them. In the 90's, there were too many of them built. I think some of the anchor tenants like Sears, etc... could be re-purposed as live/work areas.

are malls failing worldwide, or are they propped up by teenagers still?

That's a good idea, but is it really a mall you're talking about? Reading through the article, it sounds more like a giant greenhouse that is next to an existing farmer's market? That certainly could work in the US too but at the same time, surely we're not losing 80 percent of all agriculture production in the United States en route from a farm to a market.

I'm kind of surprised something like this doesn't already exist in the US? Or maybe it does since the article says they got the idea from an MIT agricultural lab - California would be an obvious location or really any warm location with heavy population centers.

(07-27-2018 07:15 AM)thespiritof1976 Wrote:  I am still a bit bullish on malls. I think that there will always be malls, just not as many of them. In the 90's, there were too many of them built. I think some of the anchor tenants like Sears, etc... could be re-purposed as live/work areas.

sans the "live", that's XACLY! what happened with the original core portion mall here in the 'burg.....

Or I guess you're saying failing malls can be converted into a giant greenhouse?

I dunno - maybe but it seems that failing malls are failing for a reason. Usually they're in crappy locations and are horribly outdated. I could see failing malls being converted into giant Amazon distribution centers, or in the case of one Houston mall 20 years ago, it was converted to a technology center (really just a community college).

The better run malls in better locations will continue to do fine. They need to convert unused retail space into giant entertainment options to bring out the teenagers in their never ending search for (a) escaping the heat or cold and (b) the best selfie locations. Mall of America isn't going anywhere. Neither is the Galleria here in Houston.

Regional malls are surviving as smaller malls go away. There are a couple of local smaller malls that have been totally gutted and rebranded and that seems to be working, so far. These malls are no longer "inside" malls and are incorporating more "service" related business than traditional retail.

I am still a fan of brick and mortar places - especially if we're talking groceries. There is much benefit to being able to inspect the food directly prior to purchase - especially fresh produce and meat. Also, there is no substitute for trying an article of clothing on prior to purchase.

I hate to say it, but I'm in favor of Amazon being required to pay state sales taxes on goods sold. It will make a more equitable market place where companies can compete on the same field.

(07-27-2018 07:15 AM)thespiritof1976 Wrote:  I am still a bit bullish on malls. I think that there will always be malls, just not as many of them. In the 90's, there were too many of them built. I think some of the anchor tenants like Sears, etc... could be re-purposed as live/work areas.

This is the old Sears Roebuck store in Memphis. My grandfather used to take us kids there when we were small and it was a place of wonderment for us. When Sears left it for malls across the city it fell into a state of disrepair and became an eyesore.



This is the same building this year, it's become somewhat of an anchor for community redevelopment and the area is enjoying a rebirth, it's now full of trendy shops and artists, it's close to the medical center so it's mainly inhabited by young professionals, and it looks pretty damn nice.







Conversely, the mall that was built down the street from my family home was razed and is in the process of becoming a skate park/green space/new home for a police precinct. I remember when they built it, my parents were excited because it raised the value of their home and we were excited because it became the new cool spot for kids to hang out. When they finally closed it down my parents home value had fallen dramatically, almost halved, and the entire area has suffered from blight and crime. I guess the takeaway is that basically malls suck.

(07-27-2018 07:32 AM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Or I guess you're saying failing malls can be converted into a giant greenhouse?

I dunno - maybe but it seems that failing malls are failing for a reason. Usually they're in crappy locations and are horribly outdated. I could see failing malls being converted into giant Amazon distribution centers, or in the case of one Houston mall 20 years ago, it was converted to a technology center (really just a community college).

The better run malls in better locations will continue to do fine. They need to convert unused retail space into giant entertainment options to bring out the teenagers in their never ending search for (a) escaping the heat or cold and (b) the best selfie locations. Mall of America isn't going anywhere. Neither is the Galleria here in Houston.

Usually they are the part of the reason the location became crappy. Throw in a pawn shop, a title loan place, a discount tobacco store, a check cashing liquor store and a Mexican restaurant or 2 and boom, urban decay sets in.

I think you'll see high end speciality malls continue to thrive. The run of the mill malls will continue to struggle.

I think malls would be great coworking or incubator space for small businesses.

You can purchase travel packages to the Mall of America from overseas.

We have a lot of Japanese and norther Europeans (especially Icelanders) who fly to MN, take the Light Rail Transit to the Mall, shop tax free, stay overnight in the Radisson attached to the Mall, shop again, take LRT back to the airport and fly back home with their goodies. All for less cost than buying items in their local communities.

I think that's pretty cool.

The NW Mall in Houston has basically failed. The interior has closed and the only stores still operating have in store entry/exits to the actual outside of the mall. The property will likely be redeveloped. Located relatively close in at the intersection of Hwy-290 and the 610 inner loop—it will eventually be a mixed residential/retail development and the Houston station for a Houston-Dallas high speed rail way. At least—that was the last plan I saw. It’s kinda of an iconic place to me because that’s the mall I always went to in my youth—even worked there while I was in college.

(07-27-2018 08:26 AM)Niner National Wrote:  I think you'll see high end speciality malls continue to thrive. The run of the mill malls will continue to struggle.

I think malls would be great coworking or incubator space for small businesses.

They are so dang big. Some have been converted into data centers. I saw one converted into an office HQ.

Remember this ?





I sure do wish we could go back to this. Hell, I would be willing to go back to this time with the knowledge of never being able to return.

(07-27-2018 07:52 AM)miko33 Wrote:  I am still a fan of brick and mortar places - especially if we're talking groceries. There is much benefit to being able to inspect the food directly prior to purchase - especially fresh produce and meat. Also, there is no substitute for trying an article of clothing on prior to purchase.

I hate to say it, but I'm in favor of Amazon being required to pay state sales taxes on goods sold. It will make a more equitable market place where companies can compete on the same field.

I have a foot in both camps.

I still like to see the picture quality before I buy a TV. Still want to sit in an office chair before buying it. Still want to lay down on a mattress before buying it.

On the other hand, anything you could buy anywhere and it would be pretty much the same I'll go thru Amazon. Why waste my time in stores dealing with traffic, fellow shoppers, and apathetic store clerks when I can sit on the couch and buy from my phone.

A mall in New Orleans now grows produce on the roof and sells it to the public.

(07-27-2018 08:26 AM)Niner National Wrote:  I think you'll see high end speciality malls continue to thrive. The run of the mill malls will continue to struggle.

I think malls would be great coworking or incubator space for small businesses.

This might be a stretch, but why not try and convert failed malls in urban areas into low income housing?

The building is there, the parking is there, water & sewer hookup is there. How about buying the properties on the cheap, refurbing them, and go the housing route? Who knows, with people right on site, there may be opportunities for small business to open right there.

Why not? Nothing more depressing than driving down a street and seeing abandoned buildings and malls for blocks.

(07-27-2018 10:10 AM)BadgerMJ Wrote:  

(07-27-2018 08:26 AM)Niner National Wrote:  I think you'll see high end speciality malls continue to thrive. The run of the mill malls will continue to struggle.

I think malls would be great coworking or incubator space for small businesses.

This might be a stretch, but why not try and convert failed malls in urban areas into low income housing?

The building is there, the parking is there, water & sewer hookup is there. How about buying the properties on the cheap, refurbing them, and go the housing route? Who knows, with people right on site, there may be opportunities for small business to open right there.

Why not? Nothing more depressing than driving down a street and seeing abandoned buildings and malls for blocks.

Cost prohibitive. Older industrial and school buildings are converted to residential with a lot of frequency though.