Review of Physical Improvement Programs

Pedestrian malls: The conversion of streets from auto to pedestrian was an attempt to make downtowns more user friendly.

Indoor downtown shopping malls: With this tactic, downtowns attempted to compete head-on with the new, large suburban shopping malls.

Downtown convention centers and sports stadiums: The construction of these large and expensive developments created new activity nodes to replace the traditional activities which had moved out of downtowns.

Historic districts: The designation of historic areas gave a uniqueness to certain sections of the center city which celebrated its age, rather than trying to hide it.

Waterfront development: Such projects utilized and updated overlooked areas of a city which had grown beyond their original purpose, but which still offered an important amenity.

Open space: The redevelopment of center city parks provided another important type of amenity.

Additional parking: Conversion of vacant sites to new parking lots and structures attempted to improve transportation convenience.

Office buildings: The traditional commercial structures in CBD areas were replaced with new office buildings as downtowns made the shift from retail as a primary function to the financial/service sector.

Pedestrian malls: Most that were put in during the 1960s and 70s have now been taken out, as planners realized that traffic contributed to downtown vitality.

Indoor downtown shopping malls: Those that were well integrated into the fabric of the traditional downtown have been more successful than center city malls that tried to imitate directly suburban prototype surrounded by large parking lots.

Downtown convention centers and sports stadiums: These centers and stadiums have often been very successful on their own, but are typically not well integrated into older downtown areas, and thus have had minimal impact in many cities.

Historic districts: Historic districts have been very successful in creating an awareness of and appreciation for existing buildings and districts. The inherent character of such districts has led to many successful downtown revitalization efforts.

Waterfront development: Waterfront areas have been successfully redeveloped in many cities. However, often they have competed with downtowns for funding, businesses, and shoppers, and have created tension with the traditional downtown.

Open space: New York City and Chicago are prominent examples of cities that historically have used urban parks as major focal points for their CBD.

Additional parking: Parking is a very problematic issue. Although it is important to urban convenience, its importance is often oveerrated by city officials, and in many cities parking has become the primary land use.

Office buildings: Office buildings should be seen as a component in a healthy business mix, but not to the exclusion of retail functions. A satisfactory solution is for office buildings to have retail spaces on their ground floor(s).

Suggested other pages...

Review of Revitalization Strategies	.