Re: Empty shops are not a usable measure of economic activity.
There is a core of truth in your postulate, but it does indicate economic efficiency, especially the changes over time.
As an example where I live, in Basel, in that area of Switzerland every old home is renovated or rebuilt, whereas a few miles away, in France, they use older houses to store hay in, while they crumble into disrepair.
While this is clearly related to housing policy, lack of land, bubbles, the good old days, etc, it also a measure of how well potential is being turned into reality.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
