Rise and Fall: Downtown Eugene’s Pedestrian Mall Experience and Retail Core Transformation

Abstract

Downtown Eugene’s retail core transformed drastically after the institution of the pedestrian mall in 1971. The “Eugene Mall,” which was demolished across four stages between 1985 and 2002, was a part of the city’s federal urban renewal program of the late-1960s. This research examines (1) the reasons for the mall’s failure, (2) the displacement of retail businesses and brief rise and decline during the first phase of the mall’s existence (1971–1985), and (3) the resurgence of the downtown core through a shift in approach, specifically one that allowed diverse non-retail projects during its second phase (1986–2002).