A label is no substitute for substance
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Traditional town center: Frederick Maryland
(Photo: Philipsen) |
Popular labels for the efforts of transforming failing malls include "Mixed use" "town center" and "transit oriented development" (TOD). All too often these terms are simply lipstick applied to pretty much the same old pig. Some clarification is in order.
The US is severely "over-retailed", especially in metro areas, resulting in wasting huge amounts of commercially zoned land to underperforming or defunct, auto oriented retail, while housing is in short supply and open space is dwindling. This makes the proper redevelopment of the vast malls important for taxes, jobs, services, access and the quality of life in communities.
Adding a few non-retail uses around the usual mall boxes or opening up a formerly enclosed mall by turning a few shops to face the outside, therefore doesn't address the core issues, nor does it create mixed-use, let alone a town-center. Nearby transit alone doesn't turn a refurbished mall into a TOD.
What is a mixed use center?
After decades of strict use separation, planners now love "mixed-use". The bar for becoming a mixed-use center seems low, but achieving it isn't as easy as adding a another use next to shopping, even if under zoning that may be considered mixed-use.
The traditional main street would be instructive to
Archplan Inc. Philipsen Architects