Why, oh why, the changes in the Mall?

On a recent visit to Bendigo, a place I have always enjoyed visiting if only for its public gardens and splendid art gallery, I was dismayed to notice what had happened to the Hargreaves Mall.The bleak stretch of pale stone shimmering in the sun made me wince at the thought of how unbearably hot this area would be in summer.I noticed that this had obviously raised concerns as several sunshades had been put in place.And, why two enormous screens, to look at what?Surely we do enough watching of pictures in our homes and in the cinema?A public space should be there for the public to interact as much as possible. It should have comfortable seats (unlike the stone ones in the mall) so that people can rest after shopping and watch the world, i.e. other people, go by, or chat with each other.It is good that the City of Greater Bendigo has thought of providing public lavatories, but these are too public in that many people would feel embarrassed about going into one of these in full view of passers-by.How sad that this recent upgrading is so people-unfriendly and ultimately so insensitive to the needs of the citizens of Bendigo.JANNA HILBRINK,Northcote