What Happens to the Dying Malls?
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| Shopping Center Masphee Commones in the 1960s, Massachusetts |
When we discussed Malls as 'Junkspace' in class, we never
discussed how these spaces are dying in the suburbs. Mall vacancies are at an eight-year high with
retailers having plans to close 10,619 stores this year. As
these malls slowly become more and more vacant, we have to ask what should we
do with them? I am inspired by Ellen
Dunham-Jone’s TED talk “Retrofitting Suburbia” where she proposes to re-inhabit
these malls and their vast, underperforming parking lots to create ‘more urban
lifestyles’ within the suburbs. Her examples include retrofitting malls with libraries, churches, and art galleries to create community centers. Or transforming the empty parking lots into mixed-use developments and greenspaces to provide more density within the suburbs. Her approach of New Urbanism allows us to see abandoned shopping centers as an opportunity to create the walkable, sustainable urban neighborhoods that the suburbs lack.
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| Masphee Commons today with walkable streets and shops |
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| The former parking lot of Seattle's Northgate Mall now has housing and a stream |
I think this is an interesting challenge. In a perfect world everyone would pack up and move to the closest city. In reality we know this is impossible. Not everyone wants to move out of there comfortable 4 bedroom home on their one acre lot. The question is what can we do to the spaces like malls that are dying? Often we jump to ideal solutions like moving to cities but the more realistic option and the more difficult one is how do we change suburbia.
ReplyDeleteI think this works in our eyes, and is a great way to fill space... but how does it work logistically? IE: Big open space needing to be retrofitted for any program in which you suggested within the suburban landscape, only upping the rent in that area. And how do churches and non-profits pay for rising rents in these areas while staying true to the sense of community?
ReplyDeleteIt's strange how such a drastic reprogramming of a space like a mall is possible, but it needs to happen and is happening. The Citadel Mall in Charleston has long been struggling with low occupancy and bankrupt department stores. One of the current plans which is in progress is opening a branch of the MUSC hospital in the former JC Penny store. This seems so bizarre to me, and I wonder how that is possible given the difficult program (and cost), but it takes advantage of junkspaces and provides that area with needed healthcare accessibility and options. Since it hasn't opened yet, we don't know how successful this will be, but it could be a push in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteI think is an interesting conversation regarding vacant malls and how to revive this Junkspace. In my hometown of Cleveland, OH, there are several malls that have literally deteriorated and destroyed the well-being of the neighboring cities. One can only imagine how retrofitting those spaces would have benefited the city; but just how much would it cost for those companies/organizations to rent mall vacancies?
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