Happy Places
When was the last time you felt properly happy about going somewhere? I don’t mean just a fleeting feeling of cheeriness, but a deep-down level of pleasure and contentment. It’s a question I think we need to be asking ourselves (and on behalf of our customers and/or end users) a lot more often.
Drive is an initial, but short-lived, emotion, based on attainment and achievement, such as the quick hit of a retail purchase. Connection works at a deeper level and is therefore longer lasting. It is a calmer feeling based on physical affiliation and alignment of personal and cultural values.
Why? Because, simply put, all of us are more likely to visit places that evoke good feelings. And places that are more attractive to us as consumers are more appealing to occupiers. That, in turn, drives up rental values and ultimately improves investment values. So far, so straightforward, but in reality cracking this nut is much harder in practice than it is in theory.
Let’s tackle the theoretical side first: psychologists suggest that true human happiness is derived from two key elements: drive and connection. Drive is an initial, but short-lived, emotion, based on attainment and achievement, such as the quick hit of a retail purchase. Connection works at a deeper level and is therefore longer lasting. It is a calmer feeling based on physical affiliation and alignment of personal and cultural values.
How does this relate to commercial property? Places that can blend both drive and connection will generate positive feelings that are powerful attractants for potential customers. We know that architecture that intrigues us and design that incorporates nature and green space (see previous Perspectives) is good for our mental health. So, to get people returning to their happy place requires well thought-out design, nature and connection points, together with a well curated tenant mix that serves the needs of the individual communities it serves, fulfilling their drive.
If this sounds slightly obvious, in some ways it is. No-one is attracted to utilitarian spaces. We visit them, if at all, because we have to. And it is one of the reasons we are moving away, at pace, from mono-use development. But creating converse places is much harder than it sounds. And, arguably, than it should be.
Individual operators who are making headway in creating places where customers can fulfil their drive and connection needs at a grassroots level include Gymshark and Rixo. Gymshark has been particularly successful in growing a community both online and offline. Its recent Regent Street flagship store and pop-up venues across London (which can feature live classes, demonstrations, and appearances from Gymshark athletes) create anticipation and provide opportunities for like-minded brand fans to interact in person.
Similarly, UK-based womenswear label Rixo has artfully combined its online community via its #humansofrixo hashtag with bricks and mortar stores, including a new flagship presence on London’s King’s Road, where a central bar area encourages fashion lovers to meet in person and bond over the brand’s topical sustainability initiatives that include fashion rental and pre-owned sale areas.
On a broader scale, it is evident that creating happy places also needs to be tackled from above. And that requires investors, developers and local authorities to get on board in meaningful ways. Examples include Liverpool ONE, where owner Grosvenor is focused on putting a smile on visitors’ faces through interactions between the Liverpool ONE team, the overall ambience and atmosphere and the unique brand activations and events held there. In a similar vein, British Land’s vision for the wholescale regeneration of Canada Water in south east London is, according to a speech Roger Madelin gave at the recent unveiling of The Grand Press, to create the most romantic location in London. And Related Argent’s plans for a new community in north London at Brent Cross Town are based around a park town with acres of playing fields and the aim of becoming a key destination in London for sport and play.
Macro-level urban planning approaches, such as the 15-minute city (watch out for a Perspectives on this topic later this spring) could be instrumental in creating new happy places.
But we need to be very clear: understanding the issue is relatively easy; executing it well is the real challenge.
P-THREE will comment on notable happy place initiatives as they occur, so check back here regularly.
Article by Raquel Sanchez-Diaz, Director, P-THREE
Photo credits: Unsplash