The global pandemic has greatly accelerated several trends in the conversion, repurposing, and transformation of existing retail malls, such as rethinking big-box anchors, leveraging parking for higher/better uses, and reestablishing the mall as the center of a vibrant, inclusive community. Through creative adaptive reuse, struggling malls are being repurposed to align underutilized real estate assets with growing community needs, from senior living or multifamily housing developments, to community college campuses, healthcare facilities, or mixed-use centers.

Mixed-use developers should look to create “smart density” — hybrid spaces that take advantage of density by creating shared urban experiences and installing new programming where people already congregate. As cities smartly densify, public spaces, hybrid places, and city streets will play a critical role in supporting the new types of connected spaces and live/work/play communities that are designed for people.

The pandemic has provided an unprecedented focus on our public and open space, and demand for these spaces has grown exponentially. That demand won’t stop once the vaccine is widely distributed. Designing healthy environments with access to fresh air, outdoor amenities, and integrated wellness platforms is top of mind for tenants, residents, and developers. The activation and integration of open space are being driven by the community and the private sector. Environments with ample outdoor meeting and focus spaces will become critical leasing amenities. Retail centers with a distributed network of public spaces will thrive.

City streets, parking spaces, and sidewalks represent opportunities to convert space previously dedicated to motor vehicles back to people. Some cities have expanded “slow streets” where vehicles, pedestrians, and cars can safely commingle. Others are reallocating street space from cars to cycling and walking. These spaces can provide outdoor dining and social space, and can accelerate a conversion to pedestrian-centric environments, supported by micro-mobility and alternative transportation. These new hybrid places will be more accessible, inclusive, and activated when given back to city residents.