Designed by the firm I.M. Pei and Partners in colloboration with Hanna/Olin (now called OLIN), the mall was developed to facilate public transportation for both downtown and outlying areas, while consolidating and revitalizing the diverse urban core of the city. Opening in 1982, the 80-foot wide, mile-long mall incorporated custom paving, planting, and street furniture. It has become a major economic and cultural catlyst for the transformation of downtown Denver. Lofts, restauraunts, shops, and theaters line this dynamic space that includes a gracious 22-foot-wide, tree-lined promenade flanked on both sides by subtly depressed transit lanes and widened pedestrian sidewalks. Originally designed as an inviting pedestrian thoroughfare, the mall was connected two of the city’s most prominent Modern designs, Zeckendorf Plaza and Skyline Park. Today, of these three modern landmarks, only the mall remains. Of the country’s 200 original transit malls, the 16th Street Mall is one of only thirty remaining.