Commercial StreetHow to make it the city's hottest shopping spot

The problemSales are low….the economic

downturn is not making things better.

Malls are pulling away customers. They offer shoppers :

• Shopping in peace, without having to dodge vehicles, without air pollution and noise pollution.

• Entertainment and food

• A safe place for children to play

Commercial Street offers none of these.

Malls offerShopping + Entertainment + Food + Safety from traffic

Children are often key drivers of parents' programs – a vehicle free shopping zone gives a sense of safety to parents.

Parents take children to a mall, do their shopping in shops in the mall itself instead of making a separate trip for shopping.

What Commercial Street is today

Shopper's nightmare, but

Vehicles' paradise

What shoppers feel

70 % of the shoppers in Commercial St. want it to be pedestrian-only, say vehicles are a nuisance.

School children did this survey, prompted by their own bad experience on the street.

Remember, children are one of the key drivers of Mall traffic, and therefore one of the key reasons for people not coming to Commercial St.

The solutionMake Commercial St. an open air mall:

Shopping + Entertainment + Food + Safety from traffic

+ fresh air

A shopper's paradise!!!

Benefits

• Good visibility of shop front displays and shop names – no vehicles to block the view.

• No air and noise pollution. Better for health of shopkeepers and shoppers.

• Notice this ? Kids are playing in the middle of a pedestrian-only street, father is taking care of them, while mother is shopping.

• If you can achieve this, kids will force their parents to do all their shopping on Commercial St. only.

• No other area in Bangalore has introduced this concept….Commercial St. has the first mover advantage!!!

• Get the credit for bringing a new dimension to shopping in Bangalore

• Make your street a tourist hot-spot. All tourists to Bangalore will visit Commercial St., and will obviously spend money in your shops.

• Most importantly, your customers and current shoppers of commercial street want it !!!!!!!

Benefits

The more time shoppers spend in the street, more the shopping is done in your shops.

This is what Commercial Street might look like if it is pedestrian-only.

• Trees, flower boxes, fountains, children's play equipment, sculptures, benches, trees, outdoor cafes.

MG Road, Pune. Pune's most happening place on weekends, when it is Pedestrian-only.

“The shopkeepers who were against the idea now actually wait for the walking plaza, as the sales are all time high. It is one of the most effective ways to save them from the malls that are surely eating a huge chunk of their customers. It took them time to understand this and now they have embraced this change.”

- A blog writeup on the walking plaza

The idea already works

If the idea makes sense, what next?

A 3 phase implementation process

Phase 1

Month 1Street is pedestrian-only on Saturdays and Sunday evenings after 4 PM.

Phase 2

Month 2Disallow parking on the street and use the parking space for walking.

Phase 3Month 3 onwardsDon't allow any vehicles into the street between 9 AM and 9 PM.