There seems to be an alternative interpretation the State Steet project and its failure here: https://www.wbez.org/shows/dynamic-range/the-short-sad-life-of-sta

There seems to be an alternative interpretation the State Steet project and its failure here: https://www.wbez.org/shows/dynamic-range/the-short-sad-life-of-state-streets-pedestrian-mall/f1ebf2b0-2f64-4542-9f18-83123216400d https://www.wbez.org/shows/dynamic-range/the-short-sad-life-... but you have to listen to the recording of a radio program for all the details, which I didn't do. Anyway, I live in Vienna where we have had pedestrianized shopping streets since 1971. Before every single project there is a huge discussion that this will kill all commerce, and in these 49 years that has never happened -- quite on the contrary. These projects are so successful and popular that recently even the chamber of commerce, previously a huge opponent, called for more of them. Is the US that different? Maybe. Or maybe it just needs its own learning process.