The ghost of ped malls past

In a story on the old urban renewal plan for downtown Athens, the ABH revisits the idea that College Square could be converted to a pedestrian mall.

This topic has come up on the BikeAthens discussion listserve, in the ABH, and on the letters page of Flagpole. The discussion never fails to rile folks up, one way or the other. Personally, I'd love it. The pedestrian-only zones I've seen in other cities are the most pleasant places to hang out. They are full of people and full of thriving businesses. The key, of course, is to design them well.

The story also mentions that New Urbanism will be the guiding principle behind whatever future downtown development plan Athens creates. New Urbanism "espouses a return to the close-knit communities that existed before the car transformed American life... people should live near where they work and shop, and should be able to walk where they want to go."