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STRIPE the Strips –

Reimagining the Strip Mall Parking Lot Typology 2021

The strip mall typology presents a convenient but problematic one-size-fits-all approach to commercial architecture. This architectural typology is also linked to large gaps in the urban fabric that affect walkability, human scale, and pedestrian activity, all essential to our cities’ vitality. The global pandemic highlighted the need for public outdoor spaces, from ample sidewalks and parks for walking or exercising to curbside pick-up areas and outdoor dining to support local business.

The S.T.R.I.P.E Framework proposes a systems approach to re-thinking strip malls and other large underutilized lots as we aim to promote walkability, outdoor living, and increased public space within our cities. S.T.R.I.P.E stands for:

S - Surface Treatment (vibrant functional patterns)
T - Temporary (quick tests, low risk)
R - Reframe (new environments and perceptions)
I - Identity (site-specific, hyper-local)
P - Pavilions (dynamic installations help envision new scales and future uses)
E - Events (welcome existing and new users)

HIGHLIGHTS This project originated in a five-day Design Tank commissioned by the Mayors’ Institute on City Design (MICD) to help municipalities respond to challenges and opportunities emerging from the global pandemic. The event brought together teams from UH Mānoa, the University of Detroit Mercy, and Tulane University, along with officials from the City and County of Honolulu and Kaua‘i County.