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Help needed with info on sixty former pedestrian malls

November 20, 2009 Pedestrian Mall, Planning & Design, Urban Renewal 30 Comments

The topic of my capstone (thesis) for my Masters in Urban Planning is the pedestrian mall.  I’ve taken on the ambitious task of documenting every pedestrian mall built in North America between 1959-1984.  So far I have documentation on 135 pedestrian malls created during this 25-year period.  Of those I know the current status of 75.  I believe the 60 that remain on my list have all been removed.  Some of you out there reading this post have knowledge about some of these.

For my purposes a pedestrian mall is a formerly through street that was converted to a pedestrian zone.

I’m looking for the following information:

  • Year opened (if not listed below)
  • Length (measured in blocks)
  • Width of right-of-way (measured in feet)
  • Street that was closed for the mall (from street to street)
  • Did the mall have fixed canopies
  • Year street reopened

Although you are all very knowledgeable, for academic purposes I could use links to sources such as newspaper articles, organization/city websites and such that have the information I seek.

Alphabetical listing by city (mall name, city, state, year opened):

  1. Hamilton Mall Allentown Pennsylvania 1973
  2. Ann Arbor Michigan
  3. Lexington Mall Baltimore Maryland 1974
  4. Downtown Mall Centrallia Illinois 1970
  5. Neil Street Champaign Illinois
  6. City Center Mall Coos Bay Oregon 1969
  7. Stoneplace Mall Dallas Texas 1965
  8. Vermillion Park Mall Danville Illinois 1967
  9. Landmark Mall Decatur Illinois 1970
  10. Town Clock Plaza Dubuque Iowa 1971
  11. Elgin Illinois
  12. Downtown Mall Erie Pennsylvania 1974
  13. Fargo North Dakota
  14. Franklin Commons Fayetteville North Carolina
  15. Las Olas Boulevard Fort Lauderdale Florida
  16. St. Clair Mall Frankfort Kentucky 1974
  17. Downtown Plaza Freeport Illinois 1968
  18. Central Plaza Galveston Texas 1971
  19. Downtown Greenville Mall Greenville North Carolina 1975
  20. Coffee Street Mall Greenville South Carolina 1975
  21. Pratt Street Hartford Connecticut
  22. Progress Place Jackson Michigan 1965
  23. Downtown Mall Lake Charles Louisiana 1970
  24. Milwaukee Wisconsin
  25. Courthouse Plaza Monroe North Carolina 1973
  26. Walnut Plaza Muncie Indiana 1975
  27. Parkway Mall Napa California 1974
  28. Downtown Mall New Bedford Massachusetts 1974
  29. Captain’s Walk New London Connecticut 1973
  30. Plaza Park Mall Oxnard California 1969
  31. Main Street Mall Painesville Ohio 1973
  32. Worth Avenue Palm Beach Florida
  33. Parsons Plaza Parsons Kansas 1971
  34. Main Street Mall Paterson New Jersey 1975
  35. Chestnut Street Transitway Philadelphia Pennsylvania 1975
  36. Maplewood Mall Philadelphia Pennsylvania 1974
  37. Pomona Mall Pomona California 1963
  38. Centre Street Mall Pottsville Pennsylvania 1977
  39. Westchester Mall Providence Rhode Island 1965
  40. St. Roch Mall Quebec City Quebec 1974
  41. Penn Square Reading Pennsylvania 1975
  42. Redlands Mall Redlands California 1977
  43. Rock Hill South Carolina
  44. Main Street Saint Charles Missouri
  45. Wyoming Avenue Mini-Mall Scranton Pennsylvania 1978
  46. Plaza 8 Sheboygan Wisconsin 1976
  47. Main Street Mall Spartanburg South Carolina 1974
  48. Springfield Missouri
  49. Old Capitol Plaza Springfield Illinois 1971
  50. Mall Germain St. Cloud Minnesota 1972
  51. Broadway Plaza Tacoma Washington 1974
  52. Franklin Mall Tampa Florida 1974
  53. Yonge Street Toronto Ontario
  54. Trenton Commons Trenton New Jersey 1974
  55. Main Street Mall Vicksburg Mississippi 1970s
  56. Gay Street Mall West Chester Pennsylvania
  57. Center City Mall Williamsport Pennsylvania 1976
  58. Market Street Mall Wilmington Delaware 1976
  59. Levee Plaza Winona Minnesota 1969
  60. Liberty Place/Gallery Place Washington District of Columbia 1976

Complicating matters is how a pedestrian mall was defined.  A full mall was completely closed to all vehicles except emergency vehicles.  A transit mall, like Denver’s 16th Street, allows transit vehicles.  But then we have the murky waters of the “semi” mall – vehicles are allowed but little to no on-street parking is.

East Park Central East Springfield MO (from Google Street View)
East Park Central East Springfield MO (from Google Street View)

For example it is possible that East Park Central East in Springfield, MO (above, map) was considered to be a semi-mall at the time.  Or Springfield had a completely closed street that was their pedestrian mall?  Given the fact that Lawrence Halprin did the adjacent Park Central Square I’d say they did label the above a mall.

Park Central Square Springfield MO, April 2008
Park Central Square Springfield MO, April 2008

I’ve been here several times.  The most recent was last year.

Me with two of my nieces, April 2008
Me with two of my nieces, April 2008

OK, 59 left. Wait, not so fast.  I found a document (PDF) from the City of Springfield that indicates the original plan was all four streets entering the square would be pedestrian malls and in 1979 they were reopened.  But other evidence suggests traffic was never barred from the Square.  So it is 60 — I’m still unsure how to classify Springfield, MO.

I’ve visited other places on the above list, such as Parsons, KS.

Parsons, KS, July 2009
Parsons, KS, July 2009

Parsons, KS had a “full” mall on Main Street and concrete canopies over the sidewalks.  Today they once again have a more traditional street design.  The canopies were partially destroyed by a tornado – I just don’t know the year.

I’ve sent out requests for information on many of the above but only a few have responded.  I got an email back from one town in the Northeast that said their mall remains — a 24 foot wide alley behind their main shopping street where vehicles were banned.  Not sure I get the point of that one.  A car-free alley is better than a street with cars?

It is too early in my research to talk findings or conclusions.  I have been surprised by the number of these malls that remain.  If you have knowledge of these please share in the comments below or email me.  My graduation is 3-weeks from today.

– Steve Patterson

 

Currently there are "30 comments" on this Article:

  1. Jennifer says:

    Totally off topic but I loved that creepy square when I was in college in Springfield. There were no businesses nearby that were open at night, and the kids who role-played vampire games used to hang out there. About a block or two away was a popular district crammed full of bars, so if you were drunk and wandered the wrong way you could get the scare of your life by rounding a corner and bumping into a greasy-haired, greasepaint-faced kid with red contact lenses and fake fangs.

    I guess that's what happens when Pedestrian Malls go bad.

     
  2. What about Market Square in Knoxville? I'm not sure if that was ever a public street though.

     
  3. Andrew Wind says:

    i can think of two off of the top of my head: One is in Iowa City and it runs through historic downtown, the other is the 16th street mall in the LoDo district of Denver. I haven't been there in a while, so I'm not sure how it is now…

     
  4. Steve,

    I've looked into the Ann Arbor “pedestrian mall” question – and not found much. Main St. between William and Huron St. (3 blocks) was substantially rebuilt many years ago with extra wide sidewalks, planter boxes, some on-street parking, street trees, etc. However, the two narrowed travel lanes were never actually closed off. The area is a vibrant day/night pedestrian mecca, with several sidewalk cafes. Google Street View has some good views of this area.

    The City of Ypsilanti apparently constructed something similar on Washington St. between Michigan Ave. and Pearl St. years ago that might've once actually been closed off to vehicle traffic. The block now has two narrow travel lanes, and no on-street parking.

    I haven't been able to find anyone so far that can tell me more.

    Have you included the first (or one of the first?) pedestrian malls in the U.S., which was constructed in Kalamazoo, MI. I assume you have, but if not I believe there is a Kalamazoo website that provides a good history of that one (which still partially exists).

     
    • Thanks for your help. Ann Arbor is one that I have very little info on. I'll pull up GSV to look at the blocks you mentioned. It may have been considered a “semi” mall.

      Kalamazoo is well-documented. I didn't include it here because I know the current status. Ypsilanti would be a new one for my database. Thanks again.

       
  5. JZ71 says:

    One not on your list is the 4th St. Mall in Louisville, KY. – it originally ran for ±6 blocks in the '70's, was partly enclosed with a retail mall and cars partly allowed back in the '80s, and reworked again in the late '90's when Cordish did their 4th Street Live project.

    One possible resource is http://www.terraserverusa.com – one of their tabs usually links to older aerial photos from 20-25 years ago, along with more-contemporary satellite photos.

     
    • That mall is in my database. I have documentation showing it was reopened to traffic in 1989. When built in 1970 and as of 1977 is was 3 blocks long. It may have been extended before being removed.

       
  6. JZ71 says:

    Arvada, CO has a semi-mall (like Springfield) on Old Wadsworth Blvd, between Ralston Rd and either W 57th or Grandview (2 or 3 blocks), with no canopies, but with serpentine streets and limited parking.

    Littleton, CO added concrete canopies to 3 or 4 blocks of their Main St, but removed them maybe ten years ago, but without doing any malling or traffic restrictions.

     
  7. kcarson1 says:

    The Parsons, KS tornado was April 2000. I don't know any of the technical information other than it was Main St. that was closed.

     
  8. Todd says:

    Eugene, OR had one that was removed some time in the 1990's or 2000's.

     
  9. Aaron says:

    Hi Steve. From your list, I suspect the “Westchester Mall” in Providence, RI was actually the Westminster Mall on what is now once again Westminster St. Here is a page with a bit of information including built/removed dates of 1964/1986 and a length of 1300ft.

    http://philipmarshall.net/providence/downcity.htm

    On a personal note, I can tell you that my grandparents remembered Westminster St. as part of the classiest downtown retail district of the 30's and 40's. The period of this pedestrian mall coincides with what most regard as the low point of the city of Providence. I'm too young to have experienced the mall, but I can assure you that Westminster St. was shabby and sad looking in the early 90's. It has gradually experienced a renaissance of investment in the last 15 years or so.

     
    • Thanks for the link — just what I needed. I visited Providence in January 2008 and liked what I saw. I knew the mall was gone but I didn't know the year removed until now. Thanks again!

       
  10. mbrewer says:

    I managed a high rise apartment community in downtown Portland Oregon that was included in this Pedestrian Mall – http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=e

    Don't know that stats but maybe the lead will help –

    Have a great weekend.

     
    • This year Portland completely revamped their 1978 transit mall on 5th & 6th streets. Cars are now allowed to use the streets although transit vehicles have dedicated lanes.

       
      • mbrewer says:

        Such a bummer – I loved that place in the summer as it provided just the right resource for rest and relaxation in a city that was becoming more and more full of energy. Thanks for the info and have a great weekend.

         
  11. Kyle says:

    Steve,

    I noticed the Fulton Mall in Fresno, CA is not on your list (maybe it is in your list of malls you have information on, but just in case I will list the link below). This is a true pedestrian mall, fully closed off from traffic. It was designed by Garrett Eckbo. It was built in 1964 and is under threat of being reopened to traffic. It is six blocks long.

    If possible, would you publish the list of active pedestrian malls on this site? I am trying to study the Fresno Fulton Mall in detail (the urban context and its affect on the mall) and I would like a few other active malls to compare it too. Recommended reading is always appreciated.

    Thanks

    Kyle

    Source/Link:

    http://www.downtownfresno.org/fulton-mall-overv

     
    • Thanks for the link — that helped provide some valuable information. Correct, Fresno's mall was not on this list because I knew it, along with 40+ others, remains. I will publish the results at some point, most likely as a book. Here are a few of those that remain: Minneapolis, MN; Miami Beach, FL; Las Cruces NM; and Des Moines IA.

       
  12. Kyle says:

    Steve,

    I noticed the Fulton Mall in Fresno, CA is not on your list (maybe it is in your list of malls you have information on, but just in case I will list the link below). This is a true pedestrian mall, fully closed off from traffic. It was designed by Garrett Eckbo. It was built in 1964 and is under threat of being reopened to traffic. It is six blocks long.

    If possible, would you publish the list of active pedestrian malls on this site? I am trying to study the Fresno Fulton Mall in detail (the urban context and its affect on the mall) and I would like a few other active malls to compare it too. Recommended reading is always appreciated.

    Thanks

    Kyle

    Source/Link:

    http://www.downtownfresno.org/fulton-mall-overview.html

     
  13. ennuisans says:

    Steve, I lived in Springfield MO until 1979 and Park Central was indeed closed to traffic for a time. I was very young then, 14 when we moved away, but I remember that it had not been closed to auto traffic for more than a few years when we left. As I recall, it was an attempt to revitalize downtown because Battlefield Mall had taken so much customer traffic away. My feeling is that the spoke-streets (like Park Central East as shown) were also blocked to traffic, but I can't be certain. In the Park Central Square picture, assuming the camera is facing north, the “DRINK” building was a department store and the corner space was the spacious Fox theater, later turned into a church.

     
  14. ennuisans says:

    Steve, I lived in Springfield MO until 1979 and Park Central was indeed closed to traffic for a time. I was very young then, 14 when we moved away, but I remember that it had not been closed to auto traffic for more than a few years when we left. As I recall, it was an attempt to revitalize downtown because Battlefield Mall had taken so much customer traffic away. My feeling is that the spoke-streets (like Park Central East as shown) were also blocked to traffic, but I can't be certain. In the Park Central Square picture, assuming the camera is facing north, the “DRINK” building was a department store and the corner space was the spacious Fox theater, later turned into a church.

     
  15. Are you aware of the one in downtown Memphis? I don't know if it ever had regular traffic, or if it was restricted to just street cars at some point, but here is a link to it on google maps: http://bit.ly/8iuvaG

     
  16. Daves says:

    Schenectady, NY has the Jay Street Pedestrian Walkway, one block between State and Franklin streets. The conversion was completed in 1984 and it is still extant. The city has an old “Operating Manual” on the walkway if that helps:

    http://www.cityofschenectady.com/studies.htm

     
    • Thanks! After confirming this mall I have added it to my spreadsheet. I need to confirm the year built and the width of the right of way.

       
      • Daves says:

        I'm glad you found it useful. I just noticed that you don't have the Charlottesville VA Downtown Mall on your list, for some reason I'd just assumed it would be there already. On East Main street, it was built in the 1970's and is still very much in use, I believe it has been quite successful. I think I have also walked down pedestrian malls in Boulder CO and Burlington, VT some time in the past 10 or 15 years, but don't know anything about their measurements or history.

         
        • This list of 60 are the ones I need help with. Monday's post will have my full list.

           
          • Daves says:

            Yeah, I figured that out after I posted that comment. I see your complete list out there now, which is impressive. I like your blog by the way – keep up the good work!

             
  17. Laura Lavernia says:

    Hello there

    Not sure if you are done with your thesis, but you are missing what is probably the second oldest, and most intact, pedestrian mall in the US – Lincoln Road Pedestrian Mall in Miami Beach. It was designed by modernist architect Morris Lapidus and completed in December if 1960. I would love to read your thesis when its done. I am currently part of a group that is trying to nominate Lincoln Road to the National Register of Historic Places.

    Good luck!

    Laura

     

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