Where and When is the project?

Some of the articles that I have been reading area about ways to repair what sprawl has done to the American cities. The options they propose to help counter act suburbia are; retrofitting existing development, infilling unused space in the suburbs (parking lots, unused residential yards, etc.) and the most dramatic of all being redevelopment. The combination of retrofitting and infilling spaces created by suburbia came to my interest, in particular some developments that have taken over abandoned city malls that have been turned into walkable communities that integrate: residences, shops, community spaces and a vibrant overall community compared to what we have with the suburbs.  

With the unsuccessful outcomes that a large majority of city malls have come to, it might be evident that Boise Town Mall will at some point reach the point where is no longer needed. The site for the project will be the commercial area of Boise’s mall and some of the surrounding retail stores. The site presents opportunities for a more vibrant development that could contribute more to the city’s functionality and beauty. It consists of large retail stores that once they go out of business or find a better place to establish, they will leave the spaces left behind with their vast parking lots.

City of Boise Limits and Site

Site

Though the Boise mall is still active, but with the circumstances and the results of sprawl in Boise, the project would take effect in a near future, in the next two or three years. I envision the project as being the start of the new era of Boise. It will be a potential project that creates a sense of community within what was a lost space left by sprawl. My plan with this project is to set example of the missed opportunity that we are letting go by with the type of development that we have been creating.