Construction inside a large two-story mall.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

This course explores the need and opportunity to reinvent aging mall sites into vibrant, inclusive, and economically valuable centers for 21st-century communities.

David Dixon
Taught By David Dixon
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Course Info

  • Duration 7 video lessons (48 Mins)
  • Published Published
    2025
  • 5.00
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Browse Course Chapters

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    1.
    Introduction
    Chapter Duration 1 min
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    2.
    Setting the Stage - Overview of the Course
    Chapter Duration 8 mins
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    3.
    Why Reinvent Most Malls?
    Chapter Duration 1 min
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    4.
    Full Stop - Equity & Inclusion
    Chapter Duration 3 mins
  • Chapter Locked
    5.
    21st Century Lives for 20th Century Malls Part 1
    Chapter Duration 9 mins
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    6.
    21st Century Lives for 20th Century Malls Part 2
    Chapter Duration 14 mins
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    7.
    Getting Started & Conclusion
    Chapter Duration 9 mins

What You Will Learn

  • Why redevelop a mall?
  • Why now?
  • Why public sector leadership matters?
  • What are key urban design thresholds for creating a new center of community life?
  • What are key implementation realities that should be part of every step of planning?

Course Description

The course will focus on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites and in the process transform outmoded 20th century greyfields into the renewed hearts of the 21st century:

  • An introduction that points out that a mall should be redeveloped not when it is failing, but when a community realizing that these uniquely large and well-positioned sites can contribute much greater economic, fiscal, social, and environmental value to their host communities and regions.

  • A description (“setting the stage”) of the perfect storm of demographic, economic development, environmental, and similar forces that have come together to trigger widespread mall reinventions.

  • Examples of diverse new lives demonstrate the wide range of opportunities that mall reinventions offer for their host communities and regions.

  • A summary of essential equity and inclusion strategies to ensure that mall reinventions benefit the full spectrum of the host community — and command support from the full community.

  • Case studies for a diverse mix of mall reinventions that are moving forward.

  • Urban design thresholds, implementation realities, and the essential importance of public sector leadership for reinventing malls.

Learn these skills

  • Development
  • Economic Development
  • Housing
  • Land Use
  • Pedestrian Planning
  • Plan Making
  • Real Estate
  • Site Planning
  • Sustainability
  • Urban Design
  • Urbanism
  • Walkability

AICP CM

This course is approved for .75 AICP CM credit.

Meet Your Instructor

David Dixon

David Dixon

David is well known for helping create new, mixed-use urban districts (in both cities and suburbs) and the planning, revitalization, and redevelopment of downtowns.

Meet Instructor

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