Because of the cheap and hasty nature of one story suburban commercial architecture, retailers choose to abandon big box stores and build new larger stores rather than expanding or adding on to existing buildings. This practice has left many vacant commercial structures behind, causing inefficient land use and, in many cases, an unkempt landscape.  Big Box Reuse by Julia Christensen highlights efforts by creative developers, businesses and even local governments to reuse and re-inhabit these abandoned boxes.

Related Article: “Expanding Retailers Begin to Look at Big-Box Spaces“