Abstract

The American landscape as many see it today is one of the suburban models, thousands of single-family homes clustered together in subdivisions isolated from one another. This urban sprawl started during the post-war era and the automobile was the machine that offered the freedom to travel and explore new destinations. The suburban shopping center, a place where you could eat, meet with friends, spend your free time, but most importantly a place to shop. Consumerism was the American way; it was the free market that is based on supply and demand with little or no government control.

Department stores have been, and still, a large supporting factor of the cultural phenomenon of the shopping mall. The architecture that was completed devoid of an architectural style of its context somehow made these spaces recognizable and memorable. Suburban malls, which were the epicenter of suburban life, are on the decline. Due to the scale of these developments, the economic stability of an area, and the single use program, these suburban malls have been difficult to maintain and have become blights on the landscape.

What if this declining mall can be redefined and revitalized to bring a greater sense of connection back to communities? Can the idea be a shopping mall be re-imagined? This research aims to understand how the implementation of mixed-use components of housing, commercial, and retail programs on existing shopping mall Sites can help revitalize neighborhoods and become a new activate town center. By understanding how shifts in consumerism have transformed the mentality of the American it may help create a new space that will promote a unified, live-able, and engaging place.