Shriram Lele Retrofitting Suburbia Thursday, February 9, 2017

QUESTIONS:
1. When the author Galina Tachieva initially discusses potential public transit, then why do we have to
increase more surface parking for which she argues further? Wouldn’t it increase more traffic, more
pollution and discourage public transit systems? Further the same author argues about the walkability around
the mall being hampered by underutilized parking. Why?
2. In Fishman’s piece, he discusses commercial essence of retrofitted malls vs community gathering
place, would it really contradict the commercial essence of a mall? Or would it be helpful for a commercial
space to prosper as there will be more people in it?
3. What comes first while retrofitting a dead mall? Battling the sprawl, essence of commercial place or
the connections in community in an interactive public place?
SUMMARY
The scope of this week’s readings covered multiple pieces by Robert Fishman, Galina Tachieva from DZP and
Mark Robins focusing on retrofitting dead malls in suburban and urban settings and the essential strategies
and approaches that need to be used by the developer/ designer.
Starting with Tachieva’s piece, where she critiques that sprawl is an ‘outdated and dysfunctional’ form of
development and needs to be changed in today’s times. She further discusses the potential of such dead/
active shopping malls in terms of its location, proximity to transit options, large footprints and adaptability
for future reuse. While doing so she also points out some interesting facts like how these malls can be
retrofitted conservatively or by complete demolition depending on the circumstances and surrounding
context. She also emphasizes on the importance of site analysis in the process of retrofitting malls and
further explains 2 different retrofitting approaches which can be used by developers, called as ‘pro- active’
and ‘retro- active’ repairs. These approaches can be used depending upon many other factors like permitting
from local authorities, legalizing new proposals through new form- based codes and rezoning ordinances
along with various other externalities like public input, accessibility and transit options. I partially agree
with the authors views on overall approaches towards retrofitting and she is completely right about all
technical factors of the process, it is just the other fact of creating interactive public spaces while doing so
which remains. I tried to relate this retrofitting approach with one of the recent projects that I worked on
during my internship, an early 1900’s dead cotton mill in small city of Newnan, GA where the entire
structure is preserved as it is because of its heritage certification, so the designers did a very creative job by
only changing internal walls and adding dry walls at times creating an affordable housing community which
offers a range of very charming, rustic apartment units and townhouses. Though I was not on the design
team, I got to work on some of the remodeling work for few units but it gave me a fair idea of an efficient
retrofit. Tachieva also explains the importance of mixed use while repairing such malls as it allows a vibrant
‘live- work- play’ environment which is essential for an interactive public place. It also helps attract more
millennials in the area that can further help prosper the commercial and shopping aspects of the mall.
The remaining 2 pieces by Fishman and Robbins discuss the same focus of rejuvenating dead shopping malls,
but with a slightly different perspective. Robin critiques that we are still stuck in the ‘heroic image of
American suburbs from the 50’s which has a great influence on today’s planning/ retrofitting practices and it
needs to change with time. He urges for reuse and transformation of such malls into active community
centers and gathering places for public through effective design strategies and at the same time states that
along with the commercial essence, connection with communities is also essential for success of such
retrofits otherwise we would be just redesigning another mall which will have its expiry in coming years.
Along the same lines, he quotes, “When market- based fantasy is offered as the sole setting for community,
we diminish the choices and opportunities for which we often pride ourselves.” I completely agree with him
and here the thoughts from all these 3 authors merge at this point where each one of them urges for an
interactive public place which is not just about shopping but also for socializing.
I tried to connect these readings with some of the old readings I did last semester, Whyte’s Study of Plazas
and street life (1980) where he explains that it is the human behavior that ultimately decides whether a
place is vital or dead and that is why urban ethnographic and behavioral studies are crucial while designing
public places. Another piece was from Lowe’s observations where he strongly states that ‘publicness is
created and contested by people through their actions and interpretations of others’ which I believe aligns
with these readings as it tells us to understand people and surrounding contexts before designing/
retrofitting any such places.

BULLETS:
• Sprawl- outdated and dysfunctional form of development
• The sprawl repair manual- interventions, implementations, regulatory systems, strategies and
finance
• Potentials of malls- location, parcel size, ownership structure
• Opportunities for mixed use- live, work play culture
• Vicinity to public transit systems and residential subdivisions
• Varied influences on the retrofitting process
• Types and approaches of retrofitting- pro- active and retro- active, one big project or phase wise
development
• Site analysis
• Mixed use and connection to urban blocks is crucial
• An intensified complete town center with office spaces and residential options is essential
• Underutilized surface parking spaces
• Potential to convert such parking lots into public places like gardens
• Incentives and implementation techniques
• Roles of state and federal government
• How are these techniques decided? Who gives the final verdict?
Redressing the Mall
• Commercial and social aspects of suburban development
• Negative elements in manmade landscapes- dead malls
• Reuse and transformation- towards an active community center
• Image of rural America from the 50’s- are we still influenced by it?
• Easton Town Center vs Central Park, NYC- which is a real public place?
• Do we need dress codes and restrictions at public places? If yes, how can it be a place for ‘everyone’
in the community?

Towards an Open Minded Space

• Redesigning dead malls as open minded spaces
• Not influenced by any past images or idealizations
• Mall to community gathering place
• Commercial essence vs community connections
• Public input is important in such design/ redesign process if we really want people to come, enjoy
and socialize.

Additional instructor's comments about your submission

Good in-depth summary and opinions stated of the pieces you reviewed - but you missed the largest
reading: the chapters in Retrofitting Suburbia.