Concerns About Pedestrian Malls

Fresno, California was known to convert its downtown core into one of America’s first pedestrian malls in the 1970s.

It has been suggested that this be done in other places, but for one-day events like annual car shows and the like. While this could be pleasurable, it has been argued that pedestrian malls need visibility, good weather and easy access. And consistency.

San Antonio stands as a successful example. Most of the buildings that line its River Walk also have access to automobile traffic. Side streets crossing the river are open as well.

Eugene, Oregon also created a downtown pedestrian mall. As would be the case in Fredericksburg, you could not see the “mall” from parallel streets, just the backs of buildings. Within a few years, major businesses began to close or move to shopping-center locations.

Retail-space rents deteriorated as vacancies and “dirty window” shops lined the tree-shaded mall. At night, it attracted groups of teens and young adults. The expensive elaborate fountain had to be turned off.
For the last several years of its existence, a few restaurants and offices provided most of the downtown traffic.

After nearly 20 years, part of the mall was reopened to automobiles. A few years later, all streets were reopened; and with the return of vehicular traffic, Eugene’s downtown is slowly coming back.