Los Angeles has a great idea for turning streets into pedestrian-friendly environments, and I believe we can do the same thing with our strip malls.

The strip malls are uninviting to consumers and businesses because they are tucked far behind large parking lots. We would love to create new development that brings the shops closer to the street, but in the meantime, let’s do something attractive and productive now.

Let’s borrow LA’s parklet idea and apply it to the strip malls.

Imagine how appealing it would be to have a seating area outside the shops! You could sit there and eat and visit with friends! LA has shared its manual, parklet kit, and technical drawings. You are going to be hearing more about this idea. Look below to see some of the neat concepts.