Across the United States, regional malls are facing declining demand due to aging infrastructure, shifting consumer preferences, and the continued growth of online retail. While approximately 2,500 large malls operated in the 1980s, only about 700 remain today. In response, many communities are reimagining mall sites as mixed-use destinations that incorporate housing, entertainment, and services.
The City of Lancaster, Pennsylvania (referred to as “the City” herein), has identified Park City Center, a 100-acre site and the state’s fourth largest regional mall, as a strategic opportunity to address housing demand, economic development, and stormwater management. The City has called for a Small Area Plan that prioritizes housing and improved environmental performance while maintaining the site’s economic viability.
This studio evaluates how Park City Center can be adapted to meet the City’s economic, social, and environmental planning goals while remaining financially sustainable for its owner. Three scenarios were developed:
Business-as-Usual: Examines current trends to estimate Park City Center's trajectory and assess its financial, environmental, and social sustainability.
Scenario One: Introduces single-family attached and multifamily housing by repurposing excess parking. This scenario also provides insight into how transit and pedestrian infrastructure can help accommodate housing, identify new types of businesses required to support new residents, fill gaps in the existing tenant mix, and reduce impervious surface area by implementing green infrastructure and green spaces.
Scenario Two: Reimagines the site further as a town center with mixed-use housing, additional green spaces, and a more diverse business portfolio, whilst providing improved pedestrian connections within the site and to nearby parks and trails.
Our analysis finds that incremental redevelopment improves environmental performance and housing supply, but more comprehensive mixed-use transformation better positions the site for long-term financial resilience and alignment with the City’s sustainability goals. Strategic phasing, infrastructure investment, and zoning updates will be critical to implementation
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