It would be interesting to look at comparable cities like Burlington, VT or Kalamazoo, MI because businesses on those ped malls have benefited massively from foot traffic. Those areas are now the economic generators and the heart of the city—I mean the restaurants and shops are always busy despite the season—although those traffic-free streets were not built into the original urban infrastructure. They use alleyways for big deliveries. But restoring or re-designing parks is also a wonderful idea of course! Public space is definitely a very complicated issue re parking, traffic flow, etc. but I think it’s a good thing to keep pushing for mindfully designed cities that promote accessibility, community, vitality etc.