Randall road in Algonquin

[chet everett]

If you look the pattern of retail that goes along with expressway oriented travel it is pretty clear that the regional / super regional malls were the model -- Old Orchard, Northbrook ct, Oakbrook Center, Woodfield and the rest are snuggled up pretty close to highways. Even smaller newer malls in Bolingbrook and the places have a similar pattern. While aspects of that model still work there are tremendous downsides, not the least of which is the lack of anything like a pedestrian friendly means of access. Sadly when I think of where such walk to it access works in all of the Chicago region I really only come up with Michigan Ave and, to a lesser extent given the vacant stores, State St...

While Oak Park has some attractive features in in it's core downtown district I don't thing theree is any doubt that the reason the Mashall Fields was closed had to do with lack of profitability.

I know there are area surrounding DC where shopping malls partner with commuter bus services to get office workers on the inbound trip and retail workers on the outbound. That sort of thing could have been part of the planning of the shopping corridors in the NW burbs, and it would have had many positives...