Plan for sites both individually and holistically. The goal of suburban retrofits, including strip mall redevelopments, should be to create a cohesive, functional, and welcoming neighborhood. Strip malls and related suburban forms are often clustered together along a corridor. Redevelopment will likely occur incrementally, site by site, over years. A holistic plan that sets a vision for the area with land use, economic development, transportation, regulatory, and design recommendations can help ensure that redevelopment occurs in a cohesive, integrated manner, rather than as a series of disjointed developments that act as islands unto themselves. A holistic plan, for example, would consider ways that people can get around throughout the district, rather than only within a specific site.

Center equity and sustainability throughout the planning and development process. Planning for suburban retrofits should continuously consider how redevelopment could mitigate past exclusionary zoning, create welcoming environments for newcomers, and enhance the local environment. Suburban retrofits of strip malls tend to diversify a community’s housing stock by providing different types of dwelling units typically smaller than what predominantly exists. While this alone is helpful, it is insufficient to ensure housing opportunities for all who need them - tools such as inclusionary zoning can also be implemented to ensure that a portion of the residential units are affordable across a range of income levels.

Prioritize walkability and alternative modes. The presence of sidewalks and crosswalks is an important but insufficient element to foster walkability. Places must also be where people want to walk. Site design is a critical aspect to achieving this aim. Buildings should be sited to frame the primary pedestrian flows, ideally with “active” uses such as retail and eating options located along these areas. The location of parking is another critical aspect to enhancing walkability – where possible, parking should be located in the rear or at the side of buildings. These are just two basic principles but there are numerous others, and each site must be tailored to its specific conditions. There are numerous resources on the design principles for suburban retrofits, as well as precedent examples of redevelopments to assist with this. Consider, too, how people will travel to and within the site. Regulations can encourage more sustainable travel by not requiring excessive parking that encourages auto ownership and contributes to congestion and GHG emissions. Instead, the regulations could incorporate a suite of transportation demand management techniques to encourage multimodal means of transportation.

Provide predictability for property owners, developers, and neighbors. Plans that establish a framework for development but then require additional discretionary review and approvals create a level of unpredictability, risk, and process cost that can discourage would-be developers and degrade the benefits of the redevelopment. Not only does an as-of-right process provide more predictability for everyone, but it can help municipalities satisfy the requirements of the new MBTA multifamily mandate.

Engage property owners and existing businesses and create opportunities for local entrepreneurs. Pay attention to the equity considerations around commercial uses. Many strip malls have low rental rates essential to independent businesses and restaurants. Care must be taken with redevelopment lest these businesses be displaced for (higher paying) chain businesses. Strategies to combat this issue include regulating that a percentage of leasable space be devoted to independent businesses and long-term leases to these businesses.

Capture the increased value associated with rezoning. Plans and regulations that allow for higher-density redevelopment on existing commercial strips could substantially increase the value of the underlying properties, creating windfall gains for property owners. Local planning efforts should recognize this and should establish expectations early on that the host community will recoup some of these gains through affordable housing set-asides, public realm improvements, and other community benefits.