The Case For Fresno's Fulton Art Mall : Toni & Tokmakian Talk! - part of LOOK AROUND, FOLLOW ME!

Professor Harold Tokmakian rebuts street construction supporters claims regarding successful pedestrian mall conversions into streets. He is Professor Emeritus of City and Regional Planning at Fresno State University and a former Fresno City & County Planning Commissioner.
Having visited many outdoor pedestrian malls in America and having analyzed the outdated and misleading mall-to-street conversion data, Professor Tokmakian shatters misconceptions of the negative mall statistics. He also points out Fulton Art Mall's internationally acclaimed design which is unique in all the world, created by world renowned landscape architect Garrett Eckbo.
Part of the documentary "Look Around, Follow Me: The Art & Architecture of Fresno's Fulton Mall".

[@jeffreywhitaker5154]

With all do respect Tokmakian..>Fresno will NEVER be a destination city. The City is interested in revenue and commerce and revitalization and the count's largest outdoor arts display is not going to do it, alot of people don't really care about that., is that sad?? yes! But it's reality..please see the Met fiasco. I'm for the putting in the street but lets design a happy medium between saving the art AND putting the street in. I'm sure if you ask the retailers there on the mall the majority will say put the street in.

[@fresnofultonartmall3995]

Hi Jeffrey! I know this a very late reply to your comment but I'd like to address some points you mention. Professor Tokmakian is not saying Fresno will ever be a destination city but rather the City of Fresno needs to promote the Fulton Art Mall as a destination to the outside world. I agree with you that most Fresnans don't care about the Fulton Art Mall. But that's because almost all Fresnans have not been educated by the City of Fresno or the Educational or Art community in Fresno about the Fulton Art Mall's outstanding collection of art and the unique design of the whole mall itself. I have to disagree with you in the fact that the outside world does consider the Fulton Art Mall as unique in all the world. There is no place like it on earth. Also, the majority of retailers DO NOT want the mall torn up. They want it to refurbished and maintained. They know that most of them will not survive the street construction. This is already happening now as the street is being put in. My claims about how retailers along Fulton Mall feel is not my opinion. It is documented fact from the public meetings the City of Fresno had to discuss alternatives to the Fulton Art Mall which started in 2002 all the way through 2010 or so. This is documented in the film about the "How Public Opinion was Ignored" kzbin.info/www/bejne/l6fchYGPnrp_eZo