The debate over how to "save" Downtown Crossing rages on (here, here, and here, for starters).  The Mayor conducted a walk-through last week, "shaking hands with shop owners and defending his administration's insistence on keeping traffic off Washington Street," according to the Globe, which seems to be leaning toward allowing traffic back on.

I don't think opening up the street to traffic is going to usher in an urban renaissance, as those pushing for it claim, nor do I think that keeping it closed to traffic and in its current state is the answer.  The real problem with Downtown Crossing is not the pedestrian mall, it's the dearth of shopping that might attract a cross-section of Boston's population.  I think everyone recognizes this.  If you want some hip-hop duds or discount shoes, Downtown Crossing is a paradise.  Not that there's anything wrong with hip-hop duds and discount shoes, but they're not exactly a daily necessity for most of us.  Want to pick up something practical on your way home from work?  Forget it.

The shame of it is, Downtown Crossing is the perfect location for a thriving marketplace.  Three subway lines intersect there.  It's custom-made for grocery shopping for those of us without cars, who have few options for one-stop shopping close to the T.  Yes, there's Porter Square and JFK at each end of the red line, and Jackson Square on the orange — and I'm sure there are others along the green, but the beauty of Downtown Crossing is still its centrality. 

The problem with Downtown Crossing is partly the muddled vision of a Mayor whose solution for urban blight is always the same: luxury high-rises that remain mostly empty, and high-end retail shopping.  But if the vision for Downtown Crossing were more reflective of the cross-section of Boston that actually passes through it every day, more reflective of their practical needs, the shopping district would be thriving. 

One of the best ideas I heard when Menino started on about "re-branding" Downtown Crossing, was to bring a supermarket in.  A Super Target was mentioned.  And while that brought a squeak of protest from those who fear an invasion of Big Box retailers, a supermarket is precisely the type of anchor the area needs.  People obviously have other options for high-end retail, and discounters like Marshall's and T.J. Maxx have the low-end covered. 

The city could also do much, much more to encourage small businesses like bakeries, butchers, diners and cafes, even (gasp) pubs — practical shopping for a transport hub, a convenient location to hang out, grab some groceries and head home — by offering merchants tax breaks or subsidies.

Whether because of safety codes, the short outdoor season, or lack of imagination, merchants have never really taken advantage of the outdoor spaces of the open mall.  While there are several trashy fast food joints, there are no restaurants or cafes with outdoor seating (on Washington Street, at least).  There's one fruit and vegetable stand in the area.  There are no fish mongers (isn't there an ocean nearby somewhere?), nothing practical for people on their way home from work, say, to encourage them to stop. 

Not to bang on about Paris, but I was continually amazed at the vitality of their pedestrian market streets.  How is it that block after block of little bakeries, butchers, wine shops, and florists can flourish there?  There are always throngs of people — true, in tourist areas, many are tourists, but many aren't.  The mix of pubs and cafes, little restaurants with outdoor seating, small food markets, and retail in these areas seems to have achieved the golden mean.

If you want thriving marketplaces in the city, you have to have a "merchant class," and a political environment that favors small businesses, and encourages and actively assists them in succeeding.  You have to have a practical vision, zoning to lay the groundwork, and incentives to bring in the kinds of businesses that can succeed.

Downtown Crossing is yet another example of Boston's half-assed efforts at urban renewal, which is why, I think, we need fresh leadership for the city.  I mean, this is exactly what I was talking about with the bike-sharing issue.  Brick pavers do not a Pedestrian Mall make.