Retrofitting Suburbia

The idea of retrofitting malls into community centers and housing is intriguing. With the rise of online shopping, many malls are struggling to attract customers and are closing down. But instead of letting these buildings sit empty, they can be transformed into valuable spaces for the community. Retrofitting malls into community centers could provide a space for people to gather, learn, and engage with each other. Converting them into housing could also help to address the affordable housing crisis in many cities. With some creativity and ingenuity, we could turn these abandoned spaces into vibrant hubs that benefit the community in multiple ways. I'm hopeful that when the mall in Anderson closes, it will be transformed into a place for the community instead of being bought and used by the hospital system. The local hospital is very interested in moving-in because it is difficult to find places to retrofit for healthcare with enough parking. 





Comments

  1. Taylor,
    I also think that retrofitting our now desolate malls would be a very feasible solution for affordable housing. I have heard critiques of this from others because of the potential for it to feel like a large shelter rather than a home. However, I think that is where we as architects need to step in rather than developers to really create thoughtful designs for these malls.

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  2. I think retrofitting malls into community centers is an interesting idea. Our mall back home makes the Anderson Mall look luxurious. The only thing that has been keeping it afloat is the one restaurant that is still there…Chick Fil A. However, they are closing their doors in the mall next week. The mall has already began reusing some stores as classrooms for the local community college but taking it further to being reused as a school or library would be an intriguing concept.

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  3. I think this is a great idea, especially for those struggling or closed malls in rundown towns. Backpacking off EK, I thinks its also rare to find developers who are truly wanting to change a community for the better and not just looking at the profit. If retrofitting these spaces became more popular, Architects will need to really take control of how we modify these spaces so that there can be a more positive impact for the communities.

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  4. Hey Taylor! While the idea of developing suburban cultural centers is really intriguing I do think it takes away from the larger picture of a city. Suburban sprawl has turned downtown centers into underused and unsafe areas no family wants to walk through. So I'm wondering if this seemingly harmless and good intentioned idea of the suburban cultural centers are detracting from the true problem of desolate downtowns.

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