Walk This Way

Downtown pedestrian mall may get another look.

There’s no doubt that many people are wedded to their private vehicles. Freedom, independence, and exploration are some of the reasons for our love affair with the automobile.   

But autos fall short on building a sense of camaraderie and community, and that’s what The District in downtown Columbia wants to see. A pedestrian mall may be one element of making that happen.   

The concept has been bandied about for decades. And it’s back as a hot topic of conversation once again. Will it come to fruition this time? There’s no guarantee. But it soon might be the newest thing afoot downtown.   

A Fresh Look at an Old Idea  

“Last year, the mayor tasked us with looking at such a project again,” says Nickie Davis, executive director of The District. The organization hit the ground running, revisiting old ideas that have been raised before and surveying its members for new ones.   

“In the surveys, most people are saying they want this,” Davis says. “But where and how long is a big question.”  

The District isn’t alone in dealing with those devilish details, along with others like safety, parking, and access for deliveries to affected businesses. The city, of course, is heavily involved, as is Local Motion, the nonprofit that advocates for the safety and access of those who get around without a car.   

Many of those on the working committee have visited other cities with pedestrian malls.   

“We’ve seen really successful ones and some that haven’t been so successful. On both of those fronts, we are taking what we see working and what we don’t see working into account. It’s very important that we learn from others,” Davis says.  

“This has happened in a lot of other cities in the United States and certainly around the world, so we have a lot of models to look at, both in big cities and cities smaller than Columbia,” says Mike Burden, Local Motion chief executive officer. “In all the places I’ve visited that have these features — in cities like Boulder, Colorado, and Burlington, Vermont — these are great places for businesses to expand into the streetscape for festivals, for conversations. And there’s a sense of security you get from being in a thriving downtown but being able to walk, or sit, or relax without having to cross the street or interact with vehicles.”  

One of the first decisions to be made is where to put the mall. Davis says there are multiple locations downtown, but the Ninth Street and Eighth Street corridors appear to be early contenders.   

“Some businesses absolutely want this in front of their businesses. Some businesses absolutely do not. That’s why the decision is so hard to make right now,” she observes.   

Establishing a pedestrian mall requires much more than just blocking off a street. There are changes to infrastructure and ordinances, not to mention access for law enforcement, the fire department, and emergency services. Such a feature could change curbs, sidewalks, and crosswalks, and it would probably require the installation of bollards, seating, and more.    

“There are many things to consider, but there are two, in particular, that come to mind,” says Shane Creech, director of Public Works, namely safety and parking.   

“How do we ensure that residents and visitors are safe from vehicular traffic? How do we ensure that emergency services can still access these areas during an emergency?” Creech asks.   

Perhaps the biggest concern about such a mall is unsurprising. It’s parking.   

Parking Perception  

During the hours the street is used for pedestrians only, those parking spaces won’t be available. And people want to park right in front of whatever business they’re entering, even though they’re willing to walk much farther at a shopping mall or big box store. It’s just a perception, but as Local Motion’s Burden notes, “Perception is reality, right?”  

“It references our car-centric approach to a lot of the development in the United States,” Burden says. “Envisioning something different really takes a deliberate effort and people willing to shift their perspective a little bit and engage in some behavior change.”  

“There are 2,000 parking spaces on the street downtown, not including the garage parking spaces,” says Davis from The District. “And if we take away ten of them for a pedestrian mall where you can sit and eat your food, have a coffee, read a book, listen to some good music, and then at night, have something fun to do that would bring three times as many people out versus ten parking spots, that’s huge for our small businesses down here.”  

However, based on what she’s seen in other cities, Davis admits the idea that “If you build it, they will come” doesn’t work.   

“We’re not just going to close off a street and call it a day,” Davis says. “We’re going to close off a street and make sure we have places for people to eat, sit, and congregate while enjoying whatever event or program might be going on in that area. If we’re going to do this, we’re going to do it right.”  

As for parking, Creech from Public Works points out that there’s more than just a perception issue at play. It’s also a budgetary issue.   

“Since Public Works is responsible for the Parking Utility, which is funded 100 percent by meter fees and garage passes, we also have to consider the impact a pedestrian mall would have on parking revenue,” he says. “This revenue goes to the maintenance of the parking garages, meters, as well as funding staff, as it is assumed parking would be lost in these locations.”  

Creating a Community Destination  

“Something like a pedestrian mall opens people up to how a space can be transformative. And in changing a space, you open up a conversation about ways we get around and interact,” Burden says. “It’s changing the expectations of what you do when you come downtown. I think this would encourage that perception shift because, now, you’re not just necessarily going to one place. You’re going to a destination.”  

Whether that destination will be created or not will probably depend on the success or failure of a pedestrian mall pilot project.   

“I have a feeling that we and the city will do a pilot program,” Davis says. “We want to make sure it’s working the way we want it to work, the way the public wants it to work, before we do anything permanent.”  

Davis is targeting 2026 for the pilot project. Maybe this time, the downtown pedestrian mall will take off.