The problem with strip malls being abandoned is increasing not just in the United States but also across the border in Tijuana, Mexico. This thesis examines abandoned strip malls and how they were revived. The investigation of the Otay Commercial Center, in Tijuana Mexico, creates a process that shows how revitalizing a place transforms the social structure of a community. The strip mall in Tijuana will be revitalized as a town center, a complete community that blends in with the surrounding neighborhood by incorporating residential, commercial and civic buildings in one place.

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Research shows that strip malls with big asphalt parking areas often create water pollution and become heat islands instead of bringing a community together. It is our duty as urban planners and architects to refurbish dead spaces and create a sense of place that will link surrounding communities. Case studies with similar conditions to Otay Commercial Center, such as Belmar and Mizner Park, were analyzed to find the most successful solution.

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As a result, the Tijuana Otay Commercial Center should be renovated and be made into a complete community. It shows in case studies that creating town centers help to create a sense of place in the community and improves not just the site but also people’s health. These strip malls will be transformed into something that a community would be proud of and use.