The megaproject vs. several small projects

[krazeeboi]

Say you had the opportunity to (re)develop an entire block in your city's downtown, and this block had the potential to seriously jumpstart your entire downtown or a dead part of downtown. In order to create that vibrancy, would you take the megaproject approach with something like a big entertainment complex, or would you choose to have several small shops that included retail and restaurant space built? Explain your choice.

[Jasoncw]

It depends on the case, I think.

Whatever the case, I don't think mega blocks are usually a good idea, and I don't think cantilevered parts are usually good either. Everything should be integrated well with the rest of the neighborhood.

But what I'm pretty certain of, if the tons of money that was spent in the 50s, and 60s on redevelopment was spent on renovations and infill projects, that the result would have been a lot better, and we'd be a lot better off today.

At the same time, something more iconic could give some identity and improve morale.

So maybe what's best is something in the middle, where a developer has a medium sized tower, and then does renovations and infill in the immediate surroundings. You'd get some of the good things from both sides.

[sunshine]

In most countries outside of USA, they all joined together as one project.