In a pictorial essay, Mark Byrnes chronicles the uneven legacy of 50 years of pedestrian malls, and the uncertain future for a redevelopment tool that has been derided in some cities and celebrated in others.
As the movement for complete streets gains momentum across the country, and streets that solely facilitated the flow of automobiles are being redesigned to accommodate a variety of modes, it seems like a good time to consider whether streets conceived of solely for pedestrians should also be rethought.
Byrnes traces the genesis of America's pedestrian malls to the building of the Kalamazoo Mall, designed by no less than enclosed mall pioneer Victor Gruen. Although the fate of Kalamazoo's mall, which became a sore spot with residents and was reopened to traffic in 1998, was shared by many cities and towns who experimented with the concept, success stories such as the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica and Miami's Lincoln Road Mall muddy the pedestrian mall's legacy.
Byrnes has assembled a slide show of some of the remaining pedestrian malls in cities across the country, such as Sacramento, Boulder, and Charlottesville, Virginia.
FULL STORY: The Uncertain Legacy of America's Pedestrian Malls

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Defunct Pittsburgh Power Plant to Become Residential Tower
A decommissioned steam heat plant will be redeveloped into almost 100 affordable housing units.

Trump Prompts Restructuring of Transportation Research Board in “Unprecedented Overreach”
The TRB has eliminated more than half of its committees including those focused on climate, equity, and cities.

Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train
The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.
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Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
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Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
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