[grimlck]

This is really the death of the mid-market mall, which are being replaced with 2 extremes - the outlet mall and the high end mall.

In warm climates, malls become outdoor is the trend, but that certainly isn't the case for cities with harsher winters.

[dded]

It certainly is the trend here in New England, where winters are reasonably harsh. And the new outdoor malls aren't very walkable, either. They're separate stores, or sometimes chunks of stores, that you almost have to drive between. With an Olive Garden or an Applebee's in the middle of the parking lot.

[zem]

I see those in California too. I really don't understand the phenomenon; my best guess is that there is some sort of incentive from the developers or city zoning for shops to open there, but nothing as cohesive as an actual mall.