I found this tab open on an old device and it's a great read two years on. I'd love to know how well mall walking communities have recovered post covid. I wonder how things may evolve and almost...
I found this tab open on an old device and it's a great read two years on. I'd love to know how well mall walking communities have recovered post covid.
The authors’ solution is to identify a widely distributed, weather- and traffic-protected, constantly surveilled and accessible alternative: the mall. Whereas most cities and suburbs don’t provide “level surfaces, benches for places to rest, water fountains for availability of free water, and accessible restrooms,” malls do.
I wonder how things may evolve and almost become more needed with climate change and extreme weather events becoming more frequent. Particularly it being an air-conditioned space with longer hotter summers.
From my pov, it's always been more about the safety aspect than the weather one. For better or worse, most cities have lost their taste for aggressively policing behavior in public. It feels like...
From my pov, it's always been more about the safety aspect than the weather one. For better or worse, most cities have lost their taste for aggressively policing behavior in public. It feels like the cops in most downtowns are more focused on hassling people than actually trying to keep any semblance of public order, and there's no actual framework for dealing with mentally unwell people on the street. A private security guard wouldn't hesitate for a moment to kick out someone shouting to themselves and aggressively punching the air in a mall. A cop would do nothing about that. As a result, my walk to the office downtown feels like walking through a mental ward, and I've had to dash away from people trying to grab or touch me many times. I've never had that problem at a mall though. I'm also a relatively young, in shape man. I don't blame an older woman for not wanting to get her exercise in an environment like that.
It makes me a little sad that we have to rely on private corporations for pleasant public space, but it's a problem without a very easy solution.
I think this heavily depends on the neighborhood -- what you say sounds right when it comes to urban areas, but in the suburbs, I think the circumstances are quite different. While US suburbs have...
I think this heavily depends on the neighborhood -- what you say sounds right when it comes to urban areas, but in the suburbs, I think the circumstances are quite different. While US suburbs have extremely poor walkability when it comes to accessing necessities without a car, they're often perfectly fine when it comes to walking for leisure (though this depends on the specific neighborhood to an extent). And in lots of the US, suburbanites are far more likely to be able to take a short drive to a nearby park with walking trails than someone living downtown. And compared to downtown most suburbs (especially majority-white ones) have very little police presence (mostly just traffic cops that are unconcerned with pedestrians where I grew up) and absolutely no people on the street. If anything, you'd be more likely to encounter those elements in the mall, simply due to the the increased concentration of people in one space. Any mall-walkers where I grew up almost definitely chose the mall because of the climate control, not the safety.
We're on the opposite end of the age spectrum here, but that's the case for my wife. She goes to the mall with my son almost every other day on average, even though we have a decent neighborhood...
We're on the opposite end of the age spectrum here, but that's the case for my wife. She goes to the mall with my son almost every other day on average, even though we have a decent neighborhood to walk through. We still walk around here in the spring and fall, but it's so much easier to keep a young kid cool or warm in the A/C and heating.
It's also perfectly flat for a stroller, and since my son is starting to walk it's MUCH better than the neighborhood - he can fall however many times with little damage, as opposed to the sidewalk where he scraped his knee the first time. Every other mom is there doing the same thing, so there's the same social draw as the older mall walkers, and it gives a shorter track to call it quits since she's pregnant. Whenever she needs to grab water or a snack it's there. And then, on top of that all, it's safe. It's just a perfect atmosphere for some moderate walking around people with amenities and without having to commit to anything.
My kids are a little older and in school now, but as the stay at home parent, I used to take mine to the mall a decent amount. The drive there could be 15 to 20 minutes depending on route which...
My kids are a little older and in school now, but as the stay at home parent, I used to take mine to the mall a decent amount.
The drive there could be 15 to 20 minutes depending on route which meant they got a little nap in the car and then walking there, I could kind of afford to let my guard down a little and not pay as close attention to them. Even in my neighborhood, I need to be aware because there are still plenty of cars and plenty that go fast or run stop signs.
Plus at the mall they often have free play areas, things to check out (Lego store) and as mentioned, water, bathrooms, AC, etc.
But I've also always been a "mall guy." From the time I and my friends could drive, up until our early 20s, that was our destination. It was just a nice place to go and hang out, talk, get some food, etc.
Shopping malls won over a wide range of admirers, from teens to seniors, by providing something they couldn’t find in their public parks or sidewalks: a safe pedestrian experience.
I found this tab open on an old device and it's a great read two years on. I'd love to know how well mall walking communities have recovered post covid.
I wonder how things may evolve and almost become more needed with climate change and extreme weather events becoming more frequent. Particularly it being an air-conditioned space with longer hotter summers.
From my pov, it's always been more about the safety aspect than the weather one. For better or worse, most cities have lost their taste for aggressively policing behavior in public. It feels like the cops in most downtowns are more focused on hassling people than actually trying to keep any semblance of public order, and there's no actual framework for dealing with mentally unwell people on the street. A private security guard wouldn't hesitate for a moment to kick out someone shouting to themselves and aggressively punching the air in a mall. A cop would do nothing about that. As a result, my walk to the office downtown feels like walking through a mental ward, and I've had to dash away from people trying to grab or touch me many times. I've never had that problem at a mall though. I'm also a relatively young, in shape man. I don't blame an older woman for not wanting to get her exercise in an environment like that.
It makes me a little sad that we have to rely on private corporations for pleasant public space, but it's a problem without a very easy solution.
I think this heavily depends on the neighborhood -- what you say sounds right when it comes to urban areas, but in the suburbs, I think the circumstances are quite different. While US suburbs have extremely poor walkability when it comes to accessing necessities without a car, they're often perfectly fine when it comes to walking for leisure (though this depends on the specific neighborhood to an extent). And in lots of the US, suburbanites are far more likely to be able to take a short drive to a nearby park with walking trails than someone living downtown. And compared to downtown most suburbs (especially majority-white ones) have very little police presence (mostly just traffic cops that are unconcerned with pedestrians where I grew up) and absolutely no people on the street. If anything, you'd be more likely to encounter those elements in the mall, simply due to the the increased concentration of people in one space. Any mall-walkers where I grew up almost definitely chose the mall because of the climate control, not the safety.
We're on the opposite end of the age spectrum here, but that's the case for my wife. She goes to the mall with my son almost every other day on average, even though we have a decent neighborhood to walk through. We still walk around here in the spring and fall, but it's so much easier to keep a young kid cool or warm in the A/C and heating.
It's also perfectly flat for a stroller, and since my son is starting to walk it's MUCH better than the neighborhood - he can fall however many times with little damage, as opposed to the sidewalk where he scraped his knee the first time. Every other mom is there doing the same thing, so there's the same social draw as the older mall walkers, and it gives a shorter track to call it quits since she's pregnant. Whenever she needs to grab water or a snack it's there. And then, on top of that all, it's safe. It's just a perfect atmosphere for some moderate walking around people with amenities and without having to commit to anything.
My kids are a little older and in school now, but as the stay at home parent, I used to take mine to the mall a decent amount.
The drive there could be 15 to 20 minutes depending on route which meant they got a little nap in the car and then walking there, I could kind of afford to let my guard down a little and not pay as close attention to them. Even in my neighborhood, I need to be aware because there are still plenty of cars and plenty that go fast or run stop signs.
Plus at the mall they often have free play areas, things to check out (Lego store) and as mentioned, water, bathrooms, AC, etc.
But I've also always been a "mall guy." From the time I and my friends could drive, up until our early 20s, that was our destination. It was just a nice place to go and hang out, talk, get some food, etc.
Definitely agreed on the last point, it was a suburbs thing to go muck around. Still seems to be, based on the teenagers we see there.