A Comparative Study of Two Initiating Cases of Pedestrian Malls in Taiwan

Abstract

The development of pedestrian malls in Taiwan has unfolded along two different tracks. The first is driven by government policies aimed at revitalizing a declined city center. The second is initiated by private groups in the hope of raising real estate prices. Although the impetus for these two types of development has originated in different sectors, they have many things in common. This study will examine the two initiating cases of pedestrian malls in Taiwan, the Xi-Men pedestrian mall in Taipei City and Jing-Ming First Street in Taichung City. These two cases are representative of the two types of pedestrian mall developments. The both cases have a significant influence on the shape of subsequent pedestrian malls in Taiwan. As such, they contain important lessons for future pedestrian mall projects and for urban planning generally. The aim of this paper is to track the development of each pedestrian mall, comparing and contrasting the two cases. The following questions will be addressed: How and why were the malls developed? What were the key factors that made them successful? How do the two projects differ? Specifically, this paper will explore the differences in the character of the respective sites, the participating groups, development concepts and strategies, spatial features, functions, and operating and management tactics. © 2005, Architectural Institute of Japan. All rights reserved.