Pedestrian Malls
Background
A pedestrian mall is a street or plaza reserved for pedestrians and in which some or all automobile
traffic may be prohibited. Traffic may be prohibited at all times in full malls, or only certain hours of
the days in semi-malls. They are typically located in central city business areas and are often served by
public transit. Though many malls are relatively quiet, tree-lined public walks and promenades, many
others are vibrant town squares at the center of a city's commercial district, such as Pike Place Market
in Seattle. Pedestrian malls have their roots in post-World War II Western Europe where they were
developed in response to increasing urbanization and traffic. Since their inception, pedestrian malls
have proliferated and are now found in many cities around the world.
In the United States, pedestrian malls emerged beginning in the late 1960s as a possible way to
resuscitate dying urban areas. Although hundreds of malls were built,many failed in the face of the
growing popularity of suburban shopping centers and the resulting disinvestment in central business
districts. In addition, many malls replicated design elements found at successful malls elsewhere in
the world, but which didn't adapt well to the United States. For example, many American malls were
paved with irregular cobble stones or bricks as commonly used in Europe. Although these materials
added a touch of old world ambiance, they also provided a very poor surface for people to walk on,
and were improperly maintained due to the lack of any clear responsibility for upkeep.
The decline of early American pedestrian malls has given them a poor image in the decades following
their introduction. However, within the last decade there have been efforts to encourage pedestrian
zones in many American cities where experiments with temporary pedestrian zones and street
closures have created a higher sense of physical and social well-being. For example, a street may be
closed for several hours during a farmer's market in order to allow people to walk freely.
Why it matters to walking
Pedestrian malls concern the health, safety, and rights of people walking. One of every six trafficrelated fatalities in King County involves a person walking, and while active strategies such as
education and law enforcement are crucial, strategies that physically modify the environment are also
important to radically reduce or eliminate exposure to the hazards of traffic conflict. Auto-free zones
like pedestrian malls represent a viable tool in developing a strategy to protect people as they travel.
Of the reported pedestrian fatalities in King County, fifty percent were elderly and thirty-three percent
were children. As such, advocating for pedestrian rights and improvements to the built environment
will provide better protection of vulnerable members of society.
Feet First position
Feet First supports pedestrian malls as a tool in transit oriented development (TOD) that has the
potential to increase the social and physical well-being for all people by reducing traffic conflict.
Learning from the setbacks that earlier pedestrian malls faced, Feet First provides several
recommendations for future pedestrian malls. Pedestrian malls should be near other developed areas
that are major transportation nodes and destinations in order to maximize the usage of the area and
return on investment for local businesses. To maintain pedestrian mall spaces there must be
organized public and private support. A clear articulation of responsibility and ownership among
stakeholders is key. It is also important to implement pedestrian malls in conjunction with other TOD
tools and strategies. Good access to parking and public transportation is essential, as is access for
bicycles.
If implemented in appropriate settings, pedestrian malls can support the Seattle Pedestrian Plan's goal
of making Seattle the most “walkable city” by promoting “safety, equity, vibrancy, and health.”
Occidental Street and Pike Place Market in Seattle represent local examples of successful, lively
pedestrian malls.
Resources
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Guide for the Planning, Design,
and Operation of Pedestrian Facilities. Washington, D.C.: American Association of State Highway and
Transportation Officials, 2004. Print.
Belcik, Tomas. Pedestrian Malls. Thesis. University of Washington, 1973. Seattle: University of
Washington, 1973. Print.
Fruin, John J. Pedestrian Planning and Design. New York: Metropolitan Association of Urban
Designers and Environmental Planners, 1971. Print.
Rivara, Fred P., Donald T. Reay, and Abraham B. Bergman. “Analysis of Fatal Pedestrian Injuries in King
County, WA, and Prospects for Prevention.” JSTOR. Association of Schools of Public Health, n.d. Web.
01 Apr. 2013.
Revised August 2014