Revised Retail (Prototype)

Chicago, Illinois

Revised Retail reimagines an underutilized strip mall in the 46th Ward. In otherwise thriving neighborhoods, these vacant retail structures are considered blights on the streetscape. And yet, these structures and spaces can be repurposed and turned into neighborhood amenities. A typical, single-story rectangular urban strip mall structure set between a street-facing parking lot and an alley provides a framework that can be easily converted into market-rate residential units, live/ work spaces or day care facilities with green spaces. Reusing existing structures and services of this building type and converting the parking lot into individual gardens and small community parks transforms an otherwise barren space into a vibrant urban landscape.