Mall Crawl: Pedestrian Malls Evolving With Downtown

Each of the three sites discussed in this presentation offers unique challenges. Denver’s 16th Street Mall not only serves significant numbers of downtown pedestrians but also incorporates an essential regional transit link between Denver Union Station and the Civic Center of this capital city. Find out how recent design interventions and reconstruction efforts affected the challenges of maintaining healthy activity to support a changing downtown environment.

In Olde Town Arvada, Colorado, the city’s historic downtown, community members expressed strong support for a pandemic-era street closure and, through a larger downtown planning effort, supported long-term change. Learn how the planning process and conceptual designs prioritized flexibility by “future-proofing” the streets for resiliency once the pedestrian mall is made permanent.

In Boulder, Colorado, the Pearl Street Mall is approaching its 50th anniversary. This well-loved asset has both affected and been affected by its surrounding downtown, where rising lease rates have driven out local businesses and overlapping regulations have made change in this University Town difficult to implement. Discover Boulder’s holistic approach to managing change and get a sneak peek at potential changes coming to Pearl Street.