Morristown, Tennessee's failed downtown renewal

The podcast discusses the failed downtown renewal project in Morristown, Tennessee. In the 1960s, the town constructed a skymart, an elevated sidewalk system along its main street, with the hope of revitalizing the downtown area. The skymart initially attracted attention and sparked economic activity, but it ultimately did not save the downtown as expected. Today, the skymart is mostly desolate, with many vacant spaces, and the town's mayor acknowledges that it didn't pan out due to a lack of interest from pedestrians and merchants. The story highlights the challenges of attempting large-scale revitalization projects without a solid foundation of local demand and sustainability.