What malls were designed to be
Upyernoz at Rubber Hose has been on an upward trend as he celebrated his ascension to the minimum age for Presidents, including a spot in the Atrios line-up.
His post on people being arrested for a “protest” at their local mall coincided with an interview on NPR’s Morning Edition [Biography Looks at Creator of the Shopping Mall 11/29/04] with Joshua Olsen the author of Better Places, Better Lives a biography of James Rouse, the creator of the shopping mall.
Mr. Rouse’s vision for malls was to create a town center in the suburbs. He was trying to provide the small town ambiance and convenience for the sprawling bedroom communities springing up around the nation. He included churches in his malls as well as shops and restaurants, and expected that political speeches would take place there. He was building in the 1960’s, so protests were part of the landscape, and he expected them to take place in his “town squares”.
One of the things I have always liked about living in city neighborhoods, and the tiny town I now live in, is the ability to leave my car in the driveway and walk to get what I need for everyday life. That’s how you meet your neighbors and become a community.
I could be snarky and make a comment about Intelligent Design, but I won’t.
The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men
Gang aft agley
An’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain
For promis’d joy!
To a Mouse by Robert Burns
