Having been integrated into almost every part of daily life, technology holds tremendous influence in contemporary society. While many of the impacts of technology seem to be quite positive, they have also created the need for all levels of government to reevaluate some of the ways in which they operate. The importance of this modern necessity was especially apparent at the June 17th Study Session of the Greenwood Village City Council.
A major topic of discussion proved to be the effects of the recent boom in popularity of online shopping. With more and more people choosing to make their purchases on the Internet instead of in person, traditional brick-and-mortar retail is not thriving. The convenience and attractiveness of online shopping is difficult to ignore, and in order for Greenwood Village to continue to see economic success, the city must look towards other economic opportunities that do not focus on in-store shopping.
While I maintain that the Village should continue to invest in traditional retail, as it is not a completely unprofitable industry, I also believe that the city should expand its economic investments in order to adapt to the modern world. I agree with the City Manager’s assertion that the entertainment industry plays a very important role in the currently changing retail dynamics. Although many people would rather take advantage of technology and shop online, they still enjoy taking part in one of the many subsets of experience-based retail, from dining at restaurants to going to the local movie theater to attending a concert at a venue like Greenwood Village’s Fiddler’s Green Amphitheater. Most notably, experience-based retail continues to flourish even in periods of economic downturn. In an economic period in which people may not be able to go on vacations, many individuals still treat themselves with a dinner out and/or the newest blockbuster. Accordingly, Greenwood Village, as well as other municipalities throughout the country, should take measures to encourage and support further development of entertainment retail, which is likely to coexist with the ever-growing cyber-retail industry.
Olivia Solow Niederman
Having just completed my junior year at Cherry Creek High School, I am looking forward to going beyond the classroom to pursue my interests in government, politics, and public policy. For the past two years, I have given back to my community by serving as a board member on the Rose Youth Foundation, where I collaborated with 22 other teenagers to allocate grants to organizations working to better the greater Denver area. In addition to community service, an important part of my life has always been gymnastics. I have competed for USA gymnastics since I was six and have been a member of the varsity team at Cherry Creek High School since freshman year. From maintaining commitments to time management to conquering fears, I have gained so much from all of these experiences and am excited to learn more from serving as an intern for Greenwood Village.
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