How To Make Malls Great Again (Or Maybe For The First Time)

In Los Angeles, we find ourselves in a mayoral election that has become about malls. That’s thanks to candidate Rick Caruso, developer of glossy “lifestyle centers,” such as the Grove and the Americana at Brand, that have become talking points and press conference backdrops in the squeaker of a race against Rep. Karen Bass for L.A.’s top office.

The mayoral race, along with a pandemic that is hopefully winding down, makes it a good time to think about malls and the purposes they serve. Enter New York-based architecture critic Alexandra Lange’s latest book, “Meet Me by the Fountain: An Inside History of the Mall.” Read more at Los Angeles Times.