Call them what you want — lifestyle centers, suburban town centers, insta-cities. Found in suburban neighborhoods around our major cities, these compact outdoor malls are everywhere. But… why do they exist? Further reading: Slate https://slate.com/culture/2005/04/the-latest-incarnation-of-the-shopping-mall.html Salon https://www.salon.com/2012/09/22/invasion_of_the_faux_cities/ The Conversation https://theconversation.com/amp/lifestyle-centers-reinvented-communities-or-dressed-up-shopping-malls-36752 The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/mar/16/malls-cities-become-one-and-same Washingtonian https://www.washingtonian.com/2016/10/31/stop-hating-suburban-town-centers-rockville-mosaic-district-silver-spring/ Build a Better Burb http://buildabetterburb.org/real-benefits-fake-town-centers/ The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/realestate/the-pieces-have-all-come-together-in-fairfaxs-mosaic-district/2020/01/08/65dd90c4-2367-11ea-a153-dce4b94e4249_story.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/can-city-life-be-exported-to-the-suburbs/2012/09/07/32096cf0-e558-11e1-936a-b801f1abab19_story.html The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/19/realestate/commercial/a-suburban-wasteland-in-virginia-gets-a-modern-urban-feel.html?mtrref=www.google.com Connect with Cheddar! On Facebook: https://chddr.tv/3JmGgBe On Twitter: https://chddr.tv/3qaYQog On Instagram: https://chddr.tv/36u8tqY On Cheddar.com: https://chddr.tv/37GycgL