Dying shopping malls: a spectre of suburbia? Empty buildings ripe for reuse? Or simply ready-made zombie movie sets?
We reported on the death of the American shopping mall this week, illustrated with eerie and powerful photographs by Seph Lawless. The discussion below the line involved everything from celebrating the demise of suburbia to proposing creative ideas for reusing the vacant spaces. Here we showcase some of the best of what you said, from the silly to the serious.
We'd love to see pictures and stories of empty shops and malls in your city: share your contributions with GuardianWitness and we'll feature the best on Guardian Cities.
Malls...good or evil?
Even the "father of shopping malls" wants to disown them - but are malls one of the last few physical spaces where we come together?
when I lived in L.A., the malls were the only places one could mingle with other people. Walking the mall was a fair substitute for walking a city street, something you just don't do in L.A. The Grove, for example, being an out door Mall, gave a village-like sense of connectedness. Sad, I know, but true.
Is the death of the American mall really a bad thing? I'm not talking about the decline of Detroit, that's another much sadder thing entirely.
To my mind, the mall represents all that is vacuous and wrong with society. The mall was popular with teens for a reason. I always regarded it as a shallow place people go to be 'seen' by others while they buy pointless products from faceless, multi national brands. Sure, sometimes we all need to visit a mall, and they provide employment but how their decline can be regarded as an actual serious loss to society is beyond me. Malls aren't exactly notorious for supporting independent business either. They replaced smaller business just like the have been replaced by the likes of Amazon.
Whilst I can't imagine too many tears will be shed for malls themselves, I think it is the culture and the stories that came from them that people will mourn. As we lead more digitised lives, there is a risk that far from being better connected with one another, we in fact become less physically attached to others, communities and environments.
That said, I'd love to see the demise of the horrible retail parks we have here in favour of a return to high streets. Meeting up 'in town' is something every generation should enjoy as a right of passage.
Who to blame?
Urban planning, cars, the internet - or just the natural cycle of humanity? Here's what you thought about who, and what, is to blame for the demise of the mall.
Human migration has a cycle--leave country to move to city, leave city to move to country, leave country to move to city, etc. Right now, it's city-time. Malls may be dead and dying now, but they probably will return in 50 years time.
Looks like those post war relics of Speer's constructions; and likewise once the humanity has ceased to give them the dignity of spectacle can be seen for the folly they were. A temple to the motor car and the spurious ambitions of Suburbia: it is an indication that such zoned approaches to the development of our cities can no more promote fresh growth, than capitalism in its latest crisis.
I personally always wondered why they did not have high density housing near malls. I also wonder why mass transportation options are kept so limited.
Car culture in general in the US is being destroyed by the cost to own and operate an automobile. It is not worth it for well paid adults, and not affordable for youth. I have even met people who work in malls that do not own cars simply because they cannot afford it on mall salaries. They carpool to work.
The existence of malls in a metropolitan area is not evidence of the problems with capitalism (which do exist). Rather, it is evidence of poor urban planning. Malls came to existence during the rise of the suburb. American suburbs are built on four elements: the motorway, the cul de sac, the prefabricated house, and the absence of public transport and a high street. Therefore, the mall comes in by the motorway exit to fill in for the absence of high street, and for the fact that the streets in the city centre are no longer walkable.
Global stories
Malls are not, of course, simply an American phenomenon. Our readers shared some stories from around the world - from Asia to Scandinavia.
Can someone let Asia know about this? Currently it seems that every city centre street market, food stall and shop is being replaced with multiple cloned shopping malls with identical stores selling the same limited cluster of high end branded goods. You used to find 5 tailors or 5 dodgy bars next to each other, now its 5 identical shopping malls in a row. When the backlash comes there will be tears.
Meanwhile in Sweden... Mall of Scandinavia (shivers) - 100000 square metres of run of the mill shops will open in Autumn 2015 in an area already containing 4 other big malls within a 10 minute radius. First the malls killed local shops, now megamalls will kill local malls.
Not so instant karma is gonna get ya.
There are a number of problems, not withstanding the lack of money being the main argument, but various others come in to play. Number one is the 'rates', now I don't know how the system works in USA, but here in down town Liverpool, we have the council shooting business in the foot, with excessive rates, not content with 'X' amount a month, they want a percentage of your takings? Then, after surrounding the mall with pavement to keep cars out, they charge a fortune in parking fees for designated spaces. Omitting disabled spaces, there is a multi-storey car park with 5 free disabled spaces advertised? FIVE, if you drive in and they are taken, you have to pay to get out? Then we have the on'line shopper, why go to all the hassle of finding a space to park the car, to carry your goods home, when you can simply log on and get it delivered, for virtually the same price?
Ideas for the future
Now they are lying empty, what should we do with these capacious former monuments to consumerism? You had some great ideas, from new housing and accessible theatres to parking lot parks - and, of course, locations for zombie movies...
Since I need a mobility wheelchair to get around I would enjoy a safe nice place to ride. Maybe broadway type live theatrical shows could be in some of the empty stores? A few nice restaurants. Great cafe. Fair type rides for the kids. Yes a grocery store. Yes on site residence for say people not ready for nursing home but mobility handicapped like myself needing assisted living like a on site laundry with pick up and delivery. Grocery delivery. On site doctor,pharmacy,bank and yes nurse if needed. Merry maids to clean the residents apartments.Many war vets have injuries restricting mobility who need care they can afford. They need protected from thiefs who eventually cause them to become homeless. These old malls could be designed for all the baby boomers plus vets and endless supply of people in need.
Has anyone thought about converting malls into high density residential space with small shops to serve the residents? Make most of the parking lots into open park and recreation space? Add in good transportation to city center as well.
Great place for a zombie or survival movie. Don't even have to make the set up!
I just see superb sets for remaking Dawn of the Dead. They even have the little fountain / Escalator thingy for the zombies to get confused by and fall in.
Are there a lot of empty shops and malls in your city or neighbourhood? Share your pictures, videos and stories with us using GuardianWitness.
Black Friday: the Collapse of the American Shopping Mall, by Seth Lawless, is available here.
Northland Center was designed by the inventor of the shopping mall, Victor Gruen, who later disowned his invention, saying: "I am often called the father of the shopping mall. I would like to take this opportunity to disclaim paternity once and for all. I refuse to pay alimony to those bastard developments. They destroyed our cities.”