Preparing for a Post Wal-Mart World

Abstract

The changing nature of Wal-Mart from a traditional dry goods retailer into an integrated, global supply chain and Wal-Mart's expansion into urban markets necessitate new architectural and urban strategies. Even as Wal-Mart continues to build the simple big box on a large scale, the pressure to change is growing, both from the outside and from within the company. As Wal-Mart seeks to more nimbly respond to these pressures and give form to change, my thesis proposition is that a new type of Wal-Mart can emerge, one which contributes to a vibrant urban fabric, respects its neighbors, and ultimately leaves a stronger community. The city demands citizenship of corporations, and may catalyze the evolution of Wal-Mart from a mere global corporate entity to an institution enfranchised in the health of the community of which it is a part.