We live in a world today where a lot of emphasis is placed on the community we live in. this is basically in a bid to foster pride in us and also because we are communal beings. Of recent a lot has been done to build up communities to the level that the next generation will have memories of living, playing and growing up in their communities. These memories are not just meant to leave a warm and fuzzy feeling in us but they act as some kind of anchor as the world keeps on becoming a smaller and smaller global village. One of the ways this happens is through the restructuring of the landmarks and social amenities that were in that community. This paper will look at how downtown malls can be used as engines of economic development in their furtherance of political capital and community spirit.
The second half of the 20th century saw leaders try to lure the people back to the cities and their central business districts. This led to activities and renovations begin to take place. Sports facilities were been renovated with new ones springing up, convention centres and art districts and other buildings that could act as a magnet in drawing the people to these places. While this was been done to increase the property value, it was also hoped by mayors of the cities that these redevelopments may restore the civic pride the people once had in those places. During this period though while this redevelopment was taking place the traditional venue of these downtown departmental stores was not considered a part in the jump starting of the community spirit.
In the late 70s and early 80s, the Boston Quincy market, Philadelphia Gallery and Baltimore Harborplace were synonymous to festivals. They were marketplaces that provided entertainment, food and boutique establishments. Unfortunately these establishments could not lure the giants like Macy’s or Lord & Taylor to buy into the strategy of downtown retailing. Recent times have seen changes in this strategy as we can now see these full-line departmental stores support the downtown malls that were erected by the cities. Those who supported them hoped they will be able to accomplish similar feats to what regional malls did to the suburbia. Kowinski (1985) emphasized that those regional malls provided a safe and comfortable environment, helped restore vitality with regards economy as they also performed community and social cultural functions. Retailing is a vital component of the society that contributes more than sales figures.
Retail Development of Center-City Downtown
Research has proven that downtown development strategies should be based of a combination of entertainment, sports, retail and business activities as this was how many urban areas tried to redevelop themselves when they created downtown retail centres. These projects featured a partnership that was both public and private with the goal of drawing shoppers back to the suburbs. Financing was made available for many of these projects through the Urban Development Action Grants and Community Development Block Grant arm of the Federal Government. The suburb development of the 70s was buoyed by traffic concerns and congestion and the loss of green space.
Using Providence Place Mall as a pattern in the rise of the suburbia malls as a result of the decline of downtown shopping of the 50s, we see how the revivals began in the 90s. in 1982 the last of the Providence Malls got closed and became an anchor store for Midland Mall in suburban Warwick. In 1958, U.S. Census Bureau shows us that about 38% of the retail sales of Rhode Island happened in Providence and this was 8 times more than Warwick and Cranston who were other suburban communities. This pattern went through an overhaul decades later with the opening of the state’s first enclosed mall.
Data and Methodology
A list of competing concepts has been tested with regards to previous work on downtown development. Do they indeed provide new jobs for the people or do they just create an inter sector shift? The other questions that have tried to be answered are whether they increase economic prosperity and wellbeing as they generate tax dollars. Many of these researchers have however come up with less than encouraging research as they have claimed that they do not really improve the economic vitality of these urban areas (West and Orr 197). What mayors and many of these leaders therefore emphasize is how these redevelopment projects will boost the spirit of the community as the people regain their civic pride. This pride goes a long way in helping secure other benefits for the community and the people that live in them. This therefore is why I am of the opinion that downtown malls affect many other aspects of the community and also economic growth when they affect civic pride. Irrespective of what these redevelopments eventually achieve, surveys that have been sent out show the people to be really upbeat with regards these downtown malls and redevelopments.
Malls as Engines of Economic Development
Economic development has been billed as one of the objectives behind these redevelopments as they are hoped to create new jobs and provide tax dollars as a result. One of the more social benefits is the fact that it boosts community spirit as surveys have shown the peoples satisfaction in visiting these malls. The mayors and leaders of these cities that were undergoing downtown revitalization ensured that they do not use it in their political stomp as they tried to refrain from claiming the glory of the revitalization in a bid to increase their approval ratings. Another very important benefit of downtown malls is the way it ensures the finances are circulated and spent in the community. The malls provide jobs with most of them been taken up by people that are local to the community. This is already helping the community with regards jobs. Another thing that happens if that these store workers will have to pay their taxes in the communities they occupy. So while these malls not only cater for the people it also ensures that there is money in the community. Downtown malls play a very important role in the community. Technology has also afforded these downtown malls the ability to live locally but to trade globally with the advent of online shopping. This ensures that there is more than one avenue for economic boom to achieve via these malls. The other way downtown malls contribute to the economy of that community is through tourism. There will always be people who will come to visit these communities or even visit a neighbouring community but may choose to stay in another community and in so doing boost the economy of that community.
The Success of Downtown Malls
The location of most of these downtown malls already goes a long way in ensuring their success. When smaller communities have malls they are seen as a really big deal as it may turn out to be the only mall in that location. We have already spoken about civic pride as a by-product of these malls and how the people that live there appreciate them. The traffic situation in these smaller communities is no way as bad as what is experienced in the major cities and so these malls tend to be easily accessible. With the right location comes the right design and this could also boost businesses in this community. How does the mall look like? Is it just a retailer or are there other functions provided by the mall? Can the family make it a family outing on their way to these malls? All these and more are ways that some of these malls could be counted as been successful as they cater to the needs of the people they live with.
Another way to view these downtown malls is in its many benefits to the community in particular and the country in general.
- Retail as a development is seen as clean and not as destructive as other land uses like manufacturing which has on many occasions be seen as been destructive to the land (Phillips 3). Also retailing is one of those few uses of land that rarely gets complaints from individuals or groups with regards what they do to the land.
- The retail business is one of growth unlike other businesses like manufacturing that has been seen a gradual downsize in recent years. The retail business seems to be growing as they naturally grow with respect to population. They are a sector that will be around for a very long time.
- The retail sector is a mainstay of local economies as we see retail sales tax going back into the community to be used there. The returns retail makes with regards taxes is usually more than is made on industrial or residential properties.
Conclusion
People want to be proud of their cities and these redevelopments help them find a way to do this again. While physical and financial benefits are also important in the redevelopment of downtown malls, most of the benefits are intangible elements like civic pride. Although these redevelopments do not translate to political clout for the leaders of these cities, it does increase the community spirit of the people and this in turn is beneficial to the mayor or leader of the city with redevelopments. There are many examples of how downtown malls are engines for economic growth from the lady who finally gets a job at the mall she grew up playing by to the family that can make a family fun day event from going to the malls. The downtown malls are more than just a retailer but have instead become a member of that community in their own right so they are not just seen as money making machine but rather an edifice that that is bringing people together.
References
Pojani, Dorina. “American Downtown Pedestrian Malls: Rise, Fall and Rebirth.” Academia.edu. n.d. Web. 3 Dec. 2013. http://www.academia.edu/2098773/American_downtown_pedestrian_malls_rise_fall_and_rebirth
Phillips, Rhonda. “What are the Positive Impacts for Retailed Based Economic Growth for Communities?” n.d. Web. 3 Dec. 2013. http://jrdelisle.com/JSCR/IndArticles/Phillips_N100.pdf
West, Daniel, and Orr, Marion. “Downtown Malls as Engines of Economic Development, Political Spirit and Political Capital.” Economic Development Quarterly. May 2003. Web. 3 Dec. 2013.
