Fulton Mall (Fresno)

The Fulton Mall, officially known as Fulton Street, was a pedestrian mall located in downtown Fresno, California, between Tuolumne Street and Inyo Street. It operated as a pedestrian mall from 1964 to 2016.

The mall was designed by Victor Gruen Associates, who were also responsible for designing the first indoor shopping mall in the United States, Southdale Center. The Fulton Mall was intended to revitalize Fresno's downtown area by converting a portion of Fulton Street into a pedestrian-only zone, aiming to attract shoppers and businesses away from suburban shopping centers. It featured sculptures, fountains, landscaping, and public art pieces, including works by prominent artists.

Despite initial success, the Fulton Mall gradually declined in popularity due to factors such as changing shopping habits, the rise of online retail, and a perceived lack of safety. Many businesses relocated, leaving vacant storefronts.

In 2016, the Fresno City Council voted to restore Fulton Street to its original vehicular traffic configuration, with the aim of stimulating economic development and improving accessibility to the downtown area. This process involved removing the pedestrian mall infrastructure and rebuilding the street to accommodate cars, buses, and bicycles. Fulton Street reopened to vehicular traffic in 2017. While vehicular traffic returned, some of the public art installations were retained and integrated into the redeveloped streetscape.