When Did a Park Become a Mall?

I was under the impression that the purpose of an urban park was to create a quiet, green oasis away from the hustle and bustle of commerce. So it confounds me that the Libeskind plan for the Civic Center literally bustles with hustle. A shopping arcade, an ice-skating rink, a wave pool and an international pavilion of culture and food: Why not just scrap the park and build a strip mall? I suppose the supporters of the plan are hoping that if built, the new attractions would scare away the dreaded homeless. Additional money would then be needed to deal with the homeless elsewhere!

For the second in my series of ideas for how to fix the park, click here. For the first, click here.— Kenny Be