Without high pedestrian and retail activity, regional malls could actually benefit from re-opening to vehicular traffic.
Pedestrian-only malls in the centre of Queenslands regional cities need re-invention according to urban planner Trevor Reddacliff. He observes that the more successful Queen Street Mall (Brisbane CBD) and Cavill Avenue Mall (Gold Coast) both benefit from a concentration of activity from being the "commercial and retail heart of southeast Queensland" and having a tourist focus, respectively. Malls in regional centres, however, had suffered from the development of fringe and suburban shopping centres which drew anchor tenants out of the central business districts. Less pedestrian traffic means that many of these malls are now described as "dead spaces", with accompanying high crime rates. Redevelopment with new uses, reintroducing cars, and becoming entertainment districts are amongst the suggested solutions.
Thanks to Charlotte Fitzgerald
Read the full story: Bell Tolls for Malls
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City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority