The Mall Comes To Town: Planning for Its Development

John Mullin, UMass Amherst
Zenia Kotval, Michigan State University
Edward Murray

Article comments

The final, definitive version of the article is available at http://online.sagepub.com. Permission for this pre-publication was given by Sage Publishers.

Abstract

This article analyzes the impacts of malls on the character and economic base of a community. Based on both applied planning and academic research, it is clear that malls stimulate major changes in the community fabric. It is also apparent that community leaders who have a clear perception that their cities and towns have the potential to attract malls, and prepare for them, will be able to gain far more from their development than those that simply wait and see. The theme of this article, in short, is that a community either plans for a mall or it is planned upon.