In the U.S., a leading indicator of future development in suburban or rural areas is often the self-storage business.  They are often built out in the middle of nowhere when land is cheap, and continue operating as other businesses are built nearby.<p>Many of them are owned by large REITs that are speculating on land values.  The business pays the property taxes as the value of the land rises.<p>Chicken shops flipping to coffee shops may predict urban gentrification, but the self-storage business predicts cornfields turning into Wal*Marts.