Pedestrian Malls in the 21st Century
The COVID-19 pandemic, writes Stephan Schmidt, emphasized the importance of public, outdoor space as cities around the world opened previously car-centric streets to pedestrians and reimagined street space as more than a way to move cars from place to place. "Alternatively referred to as slow, open, shared or active streets, many of these pandemic-inspired closures were successful, and several cities opted to continue these street changes over the course of the summer."
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Describing the history of American pedestrian malls and their rise and fall during the 1960s through 1990s, Stephan Schmidt draws comparisons to today's pandemic streets, taking lessons from the successes and failures of the past to inform our current car-free projects...
Based on his research, Schmidt describes four elements of successful pedestrian malls. These include "creating a sense of enclosure and requiring the use of ground-floor windows to increase transparency," protection from weather and varied seating options, visual appeal created through landscaping, and programmed activities. He also recommends that pedestrian malls seek connections with adjacent properties to reduce a feeling of isolation and increase pedestrian traffic.