[dredmorbius]

Correlation + causal explanation gives you a pretty strong link, however.

You can also directly compare regions in which monoliths break the flow small/frequent storefronts. The relationship, in my casual observation, holds very strongly.

You can disrupt the pattern by providing street-level temporary equivalents, e.g., street fairs / farmer's markets, and the like.

And obxkcd: http://xkcd.com/552/

"Correlation doesn't imply causation, but it does waggle its eyebrows suggestively and gesture furtively while mouthing 'look over there'."