Suburban revisions : redesigning suburban strip malls

Abstract

The quality of place in the American suburbs often inhibits peoples ability to have a sense of ownership and connection to the places they live. This is partly because the physical design of many suburban environments have repellent and disengaging characteristics. These characteristics have evolved alongside a basic structural transformation of American cities in the last century. In the end, the physical environment of the suburbs makes people feel like outsiders in their own homes because places can push people away through their confused organization and ugliness. In order to unlock the potential for suburban strip centers to be places that help us orient ourselves and connect to our world, I have developed a set of prototypes for the infill of existing strip malls in suburban strip commercial centers. These prototypes act as a systematic tool for the possible widespread densification and diversification of uses within these centers. The coherence and engaging vitality that will result from the application of this tool will improve the quality of place and enhance our sense belonging to our communities.