Retail experts have long sounded the alarm on malls in the US.
But malls are not going extinct, they are merely adapting to a new environment. In fact, many have reported robust occupancy levels and bigger crowds than before the pandemic, according to a recent market analysis from Coresight Research.
Someone once told me that malls are appealing because they match what we want out of a walkable city, and I haven’t been able to get that out of my mind.
A walkable city, but with no housing and surrounded by acres and acres of parking.
Yeah, I understand that it isn’t a walkable city. But the inside shows why we should work towards walkable cities.
I’d also stipulate there is at least one way walkable cities should be more like malls. Everyone wants to get rid of cars , for good reason, but what about everyone else? Good walkable cities still need to provide better ways for someone to drive to the city and leave their car.
We’d all benefit from more park-n-rides surrounding a town center, more long term parking. Let’s welcome people not yet ready to give up their cars, the opportunity to give them up part time
Good walkable cities should have appropriate rural transport so you don’t need to drive into town and can take a five dollar train ride with no traffic instead that includes return fare and takes you right to main destination districts.
Seattles ferry network, for example.
That’s interesting! I hadn’t thought about that, but it’s a good point.
The mall closest to me has started to build a TON of apartments around, and attached, to the mall.
Its starting to look appealing, and that mall is always buzzing.
Its like they figured out people don’t want to drive, then walk. They just want to walk.