In the competition for foot traffic and loyalty, the winners aren’t the developments with the newest retailers, but they are those that give people a reason to keep coming back. Programming is the new anchor tenant — one that drives both experience and economic resilience.
The New Reality of Place
Today’s consumers are seeking discovery, connection and authenticity. They are looking for experiences that feel purposeful and emotionally rewarding — something beyond shopping. Traditional leasing formulas, static tenant mixes and seasonal décor can’t compete with the convenience and immediacy of ecommerce unless the physical environment offers that level of connection.
Yet many developments still treat activations as occasional marketing tools rather than central components of their operations. Developments that operate purely as real estate rather than as living platforms for experience inevitably fall behind.
At the same time, foot traffic has become harder to win, while the value of in-person experiences has never been higher. After years of social distancing, people crave shared moments that foster community and a sense of belonging. They want to be active participants in their neighborhoods again — learning, playing, eating and connecting in ways digital platforms just can’t replicate. In the context of retail, programming has emerged as one of the most effective strategies for rekindling engagement and securing loyalty.
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Programming as the Competitive Advantage
Consistent, purposeful programming can drive leasing, sales and long-term growth. Regular events like farmers’ markets, concerts and outdoor fitness classes create predictable visitation patterns and generate data that tell a compelling story. When a property demonstrates recurring activity, it becomes more attractive to prospective tenants who see that the operator is not just offering space but actively delivering customers.
Programming also can be a low-risk testing ground for new ideas. Pop-up food vendors, local makers and wellness brands often use temporary activations to gauge demand before committing to longer-term leases. The data gathered from these activations provides valuable insight into what draws traffic and informs future leasing.
Collaboration is equally important. When retailers co-sponsor or host workshops, tastings or demonstrations, they become partners in sustaining the ecosystem of activity that supports them. The cost of producing events transforms into a shared investment in visibility and revenue generation rather than a one-sided expense. This approach creates a sense of shared ownership between tenants and operators, reinforcing that successful places thrive on participation over transaction.
Designing for Flexibility and Impact
The design approach must shift from landlord to host. Mixed-use environments that integrate wellness, education, recreation and civic engagement alongside commerce create destinations that people return to regularly, not just when they need to shop.
Effective programming depends on physical flexibility. Destinations that plan adaptable public spaces — those that provide power, access, storage and movable furnishings — can repeatedly reinvent themselves. A plaza designed for a morning yoga class can transition into an afternoon craft market or an evening concert without major logistical barriers. The most successful developments treat open space as programmable infrastructure, not just ornamental landscaping.
Measuring What Matters
The success of programming isn’t understood through attendance alone. The real insight lies in who comes back, why they return and what those visits generate. Operators now track how long people stay, how often they return and what activities hold their attention to gauge whether events build habitual engagement rather than one-off curiosity.
Social engagement also provides a valuable measure of community resonance. User-generated content, influencer participation and word of mouth demonstrate connection in ways traditional metrics cannot. When community organizations begin co-hosting instead of just attending events, it signals that a place has become part of the local fabric.
Community-driven events also don’t have to compete with profitability. When paired with revenue-generating elements such as sponsorships, vendor fees or premium food and beverage, these activations can support both social value and financial performance. The connection between consistent engagement and sales is well-documented: the stronger the emotional bond between people and place, the higher the loyalty, dwell time and spending that follow.
These metrics make a financial case for why activation matters. Showing that events correlate with spikes in sales, longer stays and leasing interest reinforces programming as an investment in performance, not a marketing expense.
Building Authenticity and Avoiding Pitfalls
If executed well, programming can transform a property into a trusted, familiar space that anchors daily life. Overproduced events that lack local identity, programming that doesn’t fit the audience and inconsistent scheduling that breaks momentum are common pitfalls when it comes to developing programming. The goal should be to create something repeatable and participatory.
The key to programming lies in authenticity, consistency and alignment with the community. Big, one-time productions might create buzz, but without regular engagement, they don’t build loyalty. Programming should feel like a natural expression of local culture. When experiences are co-owned by partners like artists, small businesses, schools or civic groups, they gain credibility and endurance.
The Future of Experience-Driven Retail
The next generation of mixed-use environments will be defined less by square footage and more by shared experience. The most successful destinations will evolve from transaction-based to participation-based, where people engage with culture, health and community as much as they do with commerce.
The role of operators should continue to evolve to act less like landlords and more like curators, shaping experiences that respond to changing local needs. In this model, public space becomes economic infrastructure for retail development, where identity, belonging and business intersect.
Howard Kozloff is the Founder and Principal of Agora Partners, where he merges urban planning and real estate development through an approach he calls entrepreneurial planning. With over two decades of experience spanning consulting and development across national and international markets, he identifies and creates value-add opportunities in urban environments. Kozloff has held leadership roles at Noblespace, HATCHspaces, HH Development Strategies, Hart Howerton and BRV Corp., and has published extensively and lectured at top universities including UCLA, Columbia, Penn and USC. He holds graduate degrees in urban planning and real estate development.
