How Smart Growth Solves Sprawl

Smart Suburbs: A Dying Mall Gets a New Life

Thanks to fierce competition, 20 percent of the shopping malls in the United States will likely close in the coming years, leaving hulking buildings and expanses of asphalt in their wake.

Older malls like the Eastgate Mall in Chattanooga, Tennessee, are usually the first to go. Eastgate opened in the early 1960s, but by the 1980s, a newer mall had drained away its stores and shoppers. Rather than allow the mall's site to remain a deteriorating eyesore, officials teamed with a developer to redesign the space as a town center complete with offices, restaurants, civic organizations, parks, and a community college.

To create a town feeling, the big-box buildings had to undergo extensive retrofitting, including adding street-facing entrances and windows for upper-level offices. Now, thousands of jobs have come to the center, thanks to the presence of three insurance giants and a call center.

These offices have drawn dry cleaners, banks, doctors' offices, cafes, and restaurants. Several attractions create activity around the clock: Chattanooga's YMCA and a branch of the Chattanooga State Technical Community College have moved to Eastgate.

Instead of an empty shell and vacant parking lots, Eastgate now offers the rich, multifaceted daily life that malls have been known to displace. With renovations continuing, that activity will become even richer.