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Problem

A pedestrian mall in downtown Santa Monica had become unsafe and lacked economic activity.

Background

The Third Street Promenade was a commercial district made into a pedestrian mall in the 1960s. Over the years it had become neglected and had fallen into disrepair. By the early 1980s, competition emerged from a new regional shopping center nearby. Twenty years after it was created, the Third Street Mall, or “The Old Mall,” as it was known, was unsafe, blighted, and considered an economic disaster. Efforts to restore economic health to the district and the greater “Bayside District” community surrounding it were badly needed.

Solution

The Third Street Promenade was developed in the late 1980’s by the City of Santa Monica to revitalize the deteriorated downtown area and create a vibrant center for community life and retail activity. Financed through a citywide bond measure, the Third Street Development Corporation hired architectural firm Roma Design Group to plan the redesign the 25-year-old outdoor Santa Monica Mall. The renamed Third Street Promenade opened on September 16, 1989.

A three-block segment of Third Street was closed to vehicle traffic to enhance the pedestrian experience on the Promenade. Shop owners said that they initially felt that preventing cars from accessing their front doors was destroying their business. As a result, when the project was built, the City constructed a road through the Promenade, but placed removable bollards at the ends of each block. The bollards were put in place the first weekend to test it as a pedestrian mall, and the experiment was so successful that it was eventually closed for good. Now, Third Street competes with local shopping centers by providing a festive pedestrian space protected from auto traffic in the heart of downtown Santa Monica, which is a frequent destination for tourists visiting the Los Angeles area.

The Bayside District Corporation, established by the City to manage the Promenade, is a private/public partnership paid through an assessment on the properties in the Promenade. The City appoints the Board of Directors and the Board employs the staff. The Bayside District Corporation maintains the City’s improvements, assists in the implementation of the design guidelines, and represents the entire Downtown Santa Monica area in marketing, promotions, special events, The majority of the project involved the creation of a set of design guidelines, which promote the preservation of historic buildings along Third Street, mandate a pedestrian scale to new development, and encourage the addition of pedestrian amenities by property owners. Some of these amenities include street trees, benches, fountains, landscaping, decorative and functional lighting, lampposts, banners, textured pavement, street vendors, and street performers. Street vendors and performers are regulated by the City and are licensed for business on the Promenade.

Results

The District has more than surpassed the City’s original objectives and has become one of the most successful award-winning downtown revitalization projects in the country. Not only has the Third Street Promenade been an economic boost to downtown businesses, its outstanding success has made Santa Monica a major Southern California destination. The Bayside District includes more than 70 restaurants, 17 movie screens in 4 cinemas, and more than 160 specialty shops, services, and entertainment venues open year round.

Local residents and tourists from around the country come to Santa Monica to enjoy the pedestrian experience on the Promenade. Weekend crowds are often very dense with a swarm of pedestrian activity radiating from the Promenade to other downtown establishments, Palisades Park, and the Santa Monica Pier. Parking in various City lots surrounding the Third Street Promenade is plentiful but can be difficult to find during peak hours.

It is often said that nobody walks in Los Angeles, but at the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, pedestrian activity is everywhere. Don’t be surprised to find a crowd, especially on a Friday or Saturday night, although practically any time of the day it is a popular place for both locals and tourists.

Contact

Kathleen Rawson
Executive Director
Bayside District Corporation:
1351 Third Street Promenade,
Suite 301
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Phone: (310) 393-8355
Fax: (310) 458-3921
E-mail: krawson@baysidedistrict.org
Web: http://www.downtownsm.com/about/about.html or
http://losangeles.travelape.com/attractions/
third-street-promenade-mall

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