[from CBS-19] April 12, 2010

Several former members of the Charlottesville City Council discussed the Downtown Mall's history at a panel Monday.

Members who sat on the council when the mall was designed in the 1970s discussed the planning and execution of what would become the Downtown Mall.

At the time, they said, it was a daring move to turn the city's main street into a pedestrian mall, and there was no guarantee of success.

The discussion is part of an exhibit at the Charlottesville Community Design Center, called "More than Just Bricks." It looks at the long-term significance of Lawrence Halprin's design for the mall and how it fits into the future.

"Our hope is that next time there is some discussion about how the mall should change, it will be done with at least some recognition that it's changed to a significant landscape, just not the place we think of as our outdoor living room," said Elizabeth Meyer, associate professor at UVa.'s School of Architecture.

The group has collected more than 20 hours of oral history on the mall, which they eventually plan to turn into a field guide.