3. July 2010 ruling,
The Parks Department
prohibits them from
collecting money within 50
feet of a monument or
fountain

7. Research Objective
• redress the lack of scholarly attention by
geographers on street performers
• by examining them as a form of public
expression and art
• assess the role they play in creating a
distinctive sense of place

8. Public Art & Sense of Place
• fountains, murals,
sculptures, etc.
• pause
• experience
• social contact
• anchors to place

9. Data Collection
• 100 surveys
– Shopping experience & street performers

10. Participant observation &
Interpretivist ethnography

11. Basic Survey Findings
• 50 women and 50 men
• 53: 18 to 30
• 28: 51 or older
• 19: 31 to 50
• 47: Anglo
• 20: Black
• 17: Asian
• 16: Latino
• 33: > 30 minutes
• 24: 16 - 30 minutes
• 22: 6 - 15 minutes
• 19: only 1 to 5 minutes

12. Basic Survey Findings
• 37% street performers influenced their decision to come to the
Promenade
• 68% would choose the Third Street Promenade over other malls
because of street performers
• 97% Street performers enhanced their shopping experience
• 86% Promenade would not be as successful without street
performers
• 91% Promenade would be less enjoyable without street performers
• 55% Street performers are a very important aspect of the
Promenade

13. Survey
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Question 1: Did you watch any street performers today?
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Question 2: How much time did you spend watching street
performers?
4
3
3
2
1
3
3
4
Question 3: Did the street performers influence your decision
to come to the Promenade?
2
1
1
2
2
1
1
1
Question 4: Choosing between Third Street Promenade and
other malls, will you come back to the Promenade because of
street performers?
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
2
Question 5: Did you have a 'good experience,' today with
street performers by watching or participating in their
performances?
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
Question 6: Do you consider the street performers an
important aspect of the Promenade’s attraction?
2
2
2
1
3
2
2
1
Question 7: What type of street performers do you most
enjoy?
2
2
2
1
7
2
1
2
Question 8: Would the Third Street Promenade be less
enjoyable without street performers?
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
Question 9: Would the Third Street Promenade be as
successful without street performers?
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
Question 10: Was your overall shopping experience on the
Promenade today enhanced by the presence of street
performers?
3
3
3
3
4
3
3
2
Question 11: How many times have you visited the
Promenade?
1 Chicago, IL
1 Pensilvania
1 Organge, CA
1 San Diego, CA
2 Culver City, CA
3 El Sagundo, CA
1 Santa Monica, CA
2 Santa Monica, CA
Question 12: City of residence
Question 13: If resident of Southern California how far from
the Promenade do you reside?
5
2
1
3
5
4
2
1
Question 14: Gender
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
Question 15: Ethnicity
4
1
3
2
1
4
1
2
Question 16: Age
2
3
2
2
3
1
1
1
Date
8/8/2010
8/16/2010
8/26/2010
8/8/2010
7/21/2010
8/28/2010
8/28/2010
8/26/2010
Weekday or Weekend
2
1
1
2
1
2
2
1

14. Gender
Question 3. Did street performers influence Female Male
your decision to come to the Promeande? N-50 N=50
Yes 33 16
No 17 34

15. Gender
Question 4. Choosing between the Promenade Female Male
and other malls, will you come back to the N=50 N=50
Promeande because of street performers?
Yes 38 30
No 12 20

16. Age
Question 8. Would the Promenade be less 18-30 31-50 51-older
enjoyable without street performers? N=53 N=19 N= 28
Yes 51 17 23
No 2 2 5

17. Distance From Promenade
Question 6. Do you concider street performers an Less than 10 miles 10 to 25 miles 25 to 50 More than 50
important aspect of the Promenade's attraction? N=27 away N=31 miles away miles away N=8
N=14
Some what 14 12 5 1
Very much 12 17 9 7
Not at all 1 1 0 0

18. Distance From Promenade
Question 3. Did the street performers influence Less than 10 miles 10 to 25 miles 25 to 50 More than 50
your decision to come to the Promenade? N=27 away N=31 miles away miles away N=8
N=14
Yes 10 20 6 6
No 17 10 8 2

19. Hypothesis Confirmed
• street performers add to the overall sense of
place through their music, art, discovery,
excitement, venue and culture
• street performing may well be an effective
means of creating a favorable sense of place
that enhances the attractiveness, and hence
success, of a mall.

20. • While geographers have examined many
beneficial elements in pedestrian malls, there
is a paucity of research on performing art as a
beneficial element in creating a distinctive
sense of place within pedestrian malls.
• This study sought to redresses this
shortcoming.

21. Thank You, Questions?
Kalli Fullerton, TCU
Kalliraquel128@gmail.com