The Future of Urban Retail: Lessons from Tokyo’s Azabudai Hills

San Francisco’s retail landscape is shifting. Store closures keep making headlines, with Bloomingdale’s set to close in Spring 2025. The big question is: what does the future of retail look like in San Francisco?

To search for answers, we looked to Tokyo. In 2023, the city opened Azabudai Hills, a massive mixed-use development with retail at its core. We visited and studied the project — from its flagship stores and cultural spaces to its green plazas and public life.

What Azabudai Hills Does Differently

• Flagship Retail – Major brands placed within a larger urban ecosystem, not isolated malls.

• Culture + Commerce – Museums, exhibitions, and cultural events built into the shopping experience.

• Green Public Space – Landscapes and plazas where people gather, making it a destination beyond shopping.

• Mixed-Use Synergy – Homes, offices, retail, and culture all connected, creating constant activity.

  
  

What This Means for San Francisco

Azabudai Hills shows that retail thrives when it’s part of something bigger — when shopping is one layer in a place people actually want to be. For San Francisco, the lesson is clear: the future isn’t just reopening stores, it’s building districts where culture, housing, public space, and retail overlap.

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At EP Architecture & Visual Solutions, we study global models to spark ideas for

San Francisco’s future.

Watch our full video analysis here:👉Retail Azabudai Hills: Future of Urban