aeronode

The enclosed shopping mall, despite still often being considered a dominant scourge that killed downtowns during the middle 20th century, is now in its own slow, drawn-out death spiral, giving way to big box category-killers, open-air lifestyle centers and strip malls. Yet, despite all the controversy surrounding malls in America, they stand as one of the most significant styles of urban development in 20th century America. In many suburbs and small cities, they were (and still are) the de-facto ‘town center,’ a meeting place and local focal point, and for many of us they served as a crucial part of our formative years.

Labelscar, the retail history blog. Site authors claim to have visited two thirds of malls in the US.

(Source: labelscar.com)