Private streets, second level walkways and a skybridges disable a vibrant public square environment, where everyone feels they have access to the street with the ability to demonstrate and actively participate in the life and Democratic process that occurs on authentic streets. Its impossible to envision street performers setting up inside of a mall or attracting a crowd of people who are there just to watch and be entertained. Malls are designed for movement and circulation. Ultimately controlled environments detract culture and street life.

According to Taubman and CCRI (the primary developers of the new City Creek Center project in Downtown Salt Lake City) The second level of retail space is a key component to the overall success of the project to attract 10 million visitors annually to Salt Lake City. This second level will allow the center to gain the "critical mass that is needed to draw a significant number of people downtown...We need the jumpstart that this second level of retail will provide." This is according to Taubman representative Rock Locke. These sound like reasonable arguments. There needs to be a second level of retail because this way Taubman and CCRI can squeeze the most amount of retail in the smallest amount of space, enabling more room for courtyards, gardens, open-space and street cafes.

I don't wish to play devil's advocate just for the sake of creating argument, so I've carefully considered Taubman's plan. Maybe my problem with envisioning Taubman's plans is from my lack of imagination or my lack of traveling to places like Seattle and Portland, where Taubman describes successful skybridges enabling vibrant downtown districts. However, in my limited view when I picture second level of retail I picture controled environments, I envision Cottonwood Mall, I the South Town mall, I see mall cops harassing kids for loitering on their property.

This past Summer I visited both Eastern and Western Europe I visited some flourishing cities like Munich Germany and Dachau and some poorer less flourishing cities like Tuzla and Modrica in Bosnia. What is common in all European cities is they all have street life. There are no attempts to try to manufacture life through development. The street life is genuine, caused by the will of the people. Video: Bavaria

Fifty-years ago there was a movement in the United States where fewer people were choosing to live, work and shop in downtown districts. The Interstate Highways and the suburban sprawl movement attracted many out of the cities into homes with nice white picket fences. The population of Salt Lake City declined in the 1980s and 1990s as the populations of Sandy, Draper, West Valley and Holiday increased. In the past eight years this trend has completely reversed. Populations are now moving back to cities as the appeal of city life is a sentiment in which people demonstrate innate nostalgia. Salt Lake City metro today has 300,000 more people than it had before the declines began in 1980. (source)

Today there are plenty of young people who don't want to live in the suburbs, who don't care about yards, upkeep and long commutes. There are retirees who don't want to risk their lives and others by being required to drive everywhere. Instead, they want to return to the old days of getting what they need by walking. The movement is towards reviving and getting the old Salt Lake City back. Its clear that the old Salt Lake City was destroyed forty-years ago when two malls were built over the block bisecting pedestrian streets. Its no coincidence that the population began declining two years after the completion of the second downtown Salt Lake City mall. When all the pedestrian life of a city is controlled inside of a mall, it leaves all the places that aren't controlled more dangerous and left in the control of the more seedy elements. Video: availability of residential condominiums.

It almost needs not being said, that this trend today has happened organically. There hasn't been a marketing ploy or ad agency that has enticed people to move back downtown. Because of the organic nature of the trend there is no need for fertilizer or inorganic solutions such as sky bridges designed to keep people contained and offer additional convenience. There is no need to over-build, over-hype, over-accomodate retail. People want to live in cities, work, play shop and most importantly walk. The key component to the success of City Creek is that there be plenty of housing downtown above retail. Currently there are 650 units offered in the new plans. I believe in five years when this project is completed this will prove to be far-short of the demand. With the baby boomers retiring and the incredible increasing population we are seeing in Salt Lake City not from just children but migration, merely 650 units will only allow the most-wealthy to enjoy the option to live downtown.
Video: why skybridge is an essential component to their plan.

Tourism in Salt Lake City

Tourists coming to Salt Lake City already provide the "jumpstart" Taubman is describing as an essential component. Salt Lake City already has over 7 million visitors each year to Temple Square. The Salt Lake valley continues to have a burgeoning ski industry with an additional 1.5 million ski tourists coming here every year. Ski tourism to Salt Lake City would increase substantially if those who come here seeking the greatest snow on earth also found authentic street life and charming city streets like many ski towns offer. Video: Why private streets?

If City Creek ends up something like Gateway, I believe much of the ski tourist market will be lost to Park City and Ogden because Salt Lake City will be labeled as "controlled." some might add ( controlled by the Mormon Church) Although I would disagree with this sentiment if the streets became public. Park City and especially Ogden are doing all the right things to offer a broader appeal to ski tourists who don't merely want to find enjoyment from the slopes but also from the unique street life. Ogden is doing this by simply removing the bad elements and allowing the natural flow of commerce and activity to return city.