Hundreds of North American malls shuttered after the 2007-09 recession.
Malls are important, but many are in decline.
What does it take to turn around a declining mall?
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What kind of options do mall owners have?
LOW intervention
This new content can include art, patterning, texture, entertainment, culture, video events, data, sound, hospitality, and more. Design a new look and feel for the space as well as the content programming that will make it a vibrant destination.
At Fox Valley Mall, our team applied visioning and placemaking strategies to transform the mall interior into a vibrant new lifestyle destination for the surrounding communities.
Fox Valley Mall (Aurora, Illinois)
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LOW
MEDIUM
HIGH
Potsdamer Platz (Berlin, Germany)
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Potsdamer Platz had the reputation of being the world’s cultural nerve center during the 1920s and early 1930s. Today, we're repositioning it to restore energy and gravitas to this urban destination.
A historic retail destination
from Urban hotspot that’s lost its cache to
what happened?
Highland Mall (Austin, Texas)
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The proposed development at Highland Mall includes the reuse of mall spaces for a major expansion for Austin Community College, the creation of a mixed-use development (multi-family, retail, office and hotel), and connection to local street grid and infrastructure.
Community college expansion and mixed-use development
from Underperforming mall to
AtlantiCare Health Park (Mannahawkin, New Jersey)
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The design for Atlanticare Health Park reused an existing big box store structure, refreshed the exterior with new façade materials, and renovated systems to meet current energy codes.
Outpatient medical center
from Outdated suburban strip mall to
Allow for a mix of uses such as workplace, entertainment, housing, education, healthcare and more.
Big box or department stores are great candidates for reuse as offices, schools, or clinics, for example.
Repurpose for new uses, amenities, and services to meet community needs.
Repurpose
medium intervention
The Amazing Brentwood (Burnaby, British Columbia)
in association with James K.M. Cheng (JKMC)
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The mixed-use redevelopment for Amazing Brentwood features the renovation of 500,000 square feet, as well as new retail, office space, underground parking, and 4.5 million SF of high rise residential—all connected to a new transit station.
Mixed-use urban neighborhood
from an underperforming suburban shopping center to
South Bay (Boston, Massachusetts)
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The retail-residential development at South Bay will weave urban elements into the Dorchester neighborhood's already rich urban fabric—revitalizing the blocks around it.
Mixed-use urban neighborhood
from Outdated strip malls and shopping centers to
These walkable neighborhoods and industrial parks mix residential uses with dining, recreation, fitness, and entertainment alongside retail. This can help attract and retain talent—as well as the jobs, investment, and tax base to the community.
Redevelop outdated malls to create new amenity-rich, mixed-use neighborhoods.
Redevelop
high intervention
Malls face daunting challenges that require thoughtfully designed responses.
Malls need to be about more than retail transactions.
PICK ANOTHER INTERVENTION
SOURCE
Reposition the look and feel of the space but also what happens there.
Retail researchers estimate that 25% of America’s roughly 1,000 remaining large malls will close over the next 3 to 5 years.
25% will shutter
This new content can include art, entertainment, culture, video, sound, hospitality, and more. A new look and feel, as well as content programming, will make it a vibrant destination.
Reposition the look and feel of the space but also what happens there.
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WHAT CAN BE DONE?
Late to adjust to a new online shopping reality, malls saw a decline in customer experience, traffic, and sales.
Omnichannel
shopping
+
As shoppers turned to e-commerce and niche outlets, big boxes and anchor tenants shuttered stores.
Demise of big box stores
+
Planners see mixed-use development as more economically resilient than retail.
Development preferences
+
The challenges
from Suburban mall with anchor stores closing to
Revitalized shopping, entertainment and food destination
From suburban mall with anchor stores closing to revitalized shopping, entertainment and food destination
From urban hotspot that's lost it's cache to a historic retail destination
From outdated suburban strip mall to outpatient medical center
From underperforming mall to community college expansion and mixed-use development
From an underperforming suburban shopping center to mixed-use urban neighborhood
From outdated strip malls and shopping centers to mixed-use urban neighborhood
+
Late to adjust to a new online shopping reality, malls saw a decline in customer experience, traffic, and sales.
Omnichannel shopping
+
As shoppers turned to e-commerce and niche outlets, big boxes and anchor tenants shuttered stores.
Demise of big box stores
+
Planners see mixed-use development as more economically resilient than retail.
Development preferences