De-Malling the Mall for a New Era

As the U.S. economy continues to collapse, hundreds of shopping malls have closed or been abandoned. In Canada, a similar pattern is developing, although perhaps not as bad. However you look at it, the end of the traditional mall appears to be in sight.

Some say, however, that there is light at the end of the tunnel: these centres can be remade. The key? The parking lot. Apparently these oceans of asphalt are considered by some to be a rebuilding opportunity.

In the decades to come, mall parking lots could become to the suburbs what waterfronts are to older, formerly industrial cities such as Toronto – centres of growth. And in the GTA, as everywhere else, the pressure to redevelop grows even greater.

Mississauga’s Square One is one good example: its most valuable asset isn’t its shopping, but the land on which it sits in the heart of the country’s sixth-largest city. By the time Mississauga finally builds its desperately needed public transit system, that land will be worth far too much to be limited to the use by cars. When the mall disappears, its parking lot will be transformed into a live/work community. Toronto’s former chief planner, Paul Bedford, has indicated that such a change involves “rethinking the mall. The key would be to transform the mall into a community asset, not just a retail asset.” Community centres, recreational facilities, health clinics, libraries and daycare would all be part of the concept. “De-malling the mall could bring together many of the best parts of urban and suburban life,” he said.