The Exchange Square — Redevelop decaying shopping malls into a walkable micro city

Once the heart of suburban life, shopping malls across America are now fading relics: oversized, underused, and disconnected from the communities they once served. This thesis explores a bold new vision: The Exchange Square, a redevelopment model that transforms these forgotten spaces into vibrant, walkable micro-cities built for how we live today. Focusing on the Town Center at Cobb in Kennesaw, Georgia, the project repositions the traditional mall as a mixed-use urban hub: complete with modular housing, a multi-story food hall, entertainment venues, and community-driven programs. It prioritizes people over parking lots, reconnecting neighborhoods through public space, transit access, and smart infrastructure. Inspired by Victor Gruen’s original intent for malls to serve as civic centers, this vision brings that idea full circle, fostering economic resilience, social interaction, and urban revitalization. The Exchange Square is designed with students, young professionals, and entrepreneurs in mind, but its ultimate goal is broader: to breathe life back into spaces once written off and to build thriving communities.