TRAFFIC AMBIENCE

Narration: FOUR LANES OF TRAFFIC CUT THROUGH COLUMBIA CITY, A SEATTLE NEIGHBORHOOD SOUTH OF DOWNTOWN. THE SMALL BUSINESS DISTRICT REFLECTS ITS HERITAGE OF RESIDENTS - AN AFRICAN IMPORT STORE, ASIAN RESTAURANTS, AN ITALIAN PLUMBING-SUPPLY COMPANY. KATE GILL CO-OWNS A BAR AND CAFÉ IN A FORMER HOTEL. THE AREA IS UNDERGOING SOMETHING OF A RENNAISANCE. GILL AND HER PARTNER WERE DRAWN TO COLUMBIA CITY EIGHT YEARS AGO BECAUSE OF THE OLD BUILDINGS AND THE TREE-LINED STREET.

Kate Gill: The trees are beautiful and they provide shade for us, they have a really pleasing aesthetic to our neighborhood that makes it look older, more cultured, a little more civilized, I guess, it sets us apart from the strip mall.

Narration: THE STRIP MALL AND BIG-BOX STORES HAVE COME TO DEFINE AMERICAN RETAILING IN THE LAST TWO DECADES. COLUMBIA CITY AND PLACES LIKE IT ARE A THROW-BACK...
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Promo: In our next Tales from Urban Forests, according to a growing body of research, shopping along tree lined streets could mean spending more of your money.

Intro: In an age of big-box retailers and soul-less shopping malls surrounded by acres of parking, the idea of a timeless Main Street lined with mature trees is positively nostalgic, right? Well, not quite. According to one researcher, shoppers like to stroll among the urban trees as they browse for purchases. And they’re willing to spend more to do so. From Seattle, producer Gordon Black has details.

Outro: This program is part of the ongoing series, Tales from Urban Forests. The series is produced by the SOUNDPRINT Media Center, and supported in part by American Forests and the U.S. Forest Service. For more information on the series, please visit trees.soundprint.org.