Alison Arieff, former editor in chief of Dwell magazine and current blogger for The New York Times, wrote a post on Monday about the state of shopping malls in America. She attended the International Council for Shopping Centers’ (ICSC) convention in Las Vegas last month. As a judge for the Council’s “future image” mall design competition, Ms. Arieff sums up the top designs in her post by saying that a number of entries were conscious of the need to change amidst a climate of economic uncertainty. She observed that many used technology to enhance “the shopping experience” while improving environmental and social conditions. Mr. Arieff provides the following summary of her favorite entries,

Fitzgerald Associates Architects’ Wilson Yard is not futuristic in the traditional sense. . . . Instead, FAA recognizes that the future is already here and we’d better start building for it. The project dispenses with the notion of a freestanding mall and conceives instead of a walkable, mixed-use community. Key to their design is LEED silver certification, open space and multi-modal access (not just cars but rail, transit and pedestrian).

“Retail to the People” takes the third place (defined as a social environment that’s not your home or office but a “third place” in which to socialize, work or just hang out) to its logical continuation. The corner café is not just a place to hang out and/or work from your laptop but part of a “self-sustaining, self-generating scenario of distributed shopping experiences” in neighborhoods and commercial zones. . . .

The best of the bunch? For me, CommArts’ FutuRetail 2020. . . .  As CommArts partner Richard Foy explains, “Surviving places will scramble to remake themselves. Internet, social networking, women, food, energy, sustainability factors will determine their functionability, form and location. Exciting times!”

CommArts’ Crossroads City . . . lay[s] the groundwork for what that mall will consist of. Malls will not only generate sales, they will “grow food, create crafts, manufacture products, generate energy, and provide education.”

Although not as high on Ms. Arieff’s list, the British group Colman Architects earned the “Future Image” top prize with their design. Colman Architect’s plans include “Accounting Suites, where representatives assist consumers in budgeting for purchases (and avoiding future debt).” One of the eco-conscious design characteristics is a recycling depot, which addresses cradle-to-grave issues associated with mass consumerism.

The ICSC maintains a sustainability portal, which focuses on sustainable energy and environmental design. The portal carries news regarding products and buildings involved in the retail sector. Recent stories include news of Starbucks‘ work with systems thinking guru Peter Senge (author of Necessary Revolution), to design a recyclable cup. In addition to Frito Lay’s announcement of a fully compostable chip bag, this type of approach to materials creation and lifecycle analysis will play a prominent role in future malls and shopping centers.

Big box retailers and traditional malls may allow shoppers to find all manner of products in one location, but the need for sensible, sustainable development cannot be overlooked. In order to ensure the success of local economies, the malls of America must adapt. Whether the end product reflects old world European style, as suggested by one comment to Ms. Arieff’s post, or some other undetermined iteration of shopping centers remains to be seen.

- Eric Wilson

[image source: ColmanArchitects.co.uk]