[Kihashi]

American Shopping malls were modeled on European town centers. They just got a little lost as the concept was copied.

But mixed use development is becoming more common in the US. I know of 2 or 3 mixed use developments that have opened up around my city.

> What was new about it was that it was an entirely enclosed system of shops with no exterior windows and a climate-controlled interior. This was a particularly good fit for Minnesota with its cold winters. Until then, shops in malls and arcades were connected by outside walkways. This new design was on two levels, had a department store at each end, and escalators to bring shoppers up to the second level and down again when they’d completed walking the mall. And it had a central court with skylights, fountains, plants and seating.

> Gruen was inspired by centrally planned urban re-development in his hometown of Vienna, Austria, that took place there after the democratic uprisings in 1848.

https://msourceideas.com/the-origin-story-of-the-enclosed-sh...

[enriquto]

> American Shopping malls were modeled on European town centers. They just got a little lost as the concept was copied.

This is fascinating. Do you have a source? It is a prominent example of cargo culting in a "civilized" country.