The mall as a part of Southland life

Re “City lite,” Current, Dec. 10

As master planner and architect for Universal CityWalk, the Jerde Partnership was thrilled to see it cited as an example of a center that has become an important part of the public’s everyday life. This was our intention from the beginning.

For nearly 30 years, we’ve tried to be a leader in creating places that integrate into the urban fabric and bring together people to shop, socialize and spend time.

This wasn’t by accident; it resulted from our founding philosophy that blends community-based planning principles with superior design -- a viewpoint that Southern Californians embrace.

Now that Universal CityWalk has shown that traditional retail rules can be challenged successfully, we hope that even more developers and architects will challenge these rules to offer more innovative projects. As a result, places like Universal CityWalk, Fashion Island, Horton Plaza and West Hollywood Gateway have successfully inserted communal and memorable urban experiences into the public’s everyday life.

JON JERDE

Venice