[unishark]

There are malls like this in the US. Such as places called "Galleria". But these seem like much more expensive projects that clearly can't be built everywhere, while the typical mall is really just an american version of an enclosed bazaar.

Also one US-specific issue is Christmas shopping, which probably drives a lot of the planing. Stores make the most money during a limited interval when they are packed to capacity and need to plan for that.