Mallology

There's a term for what happens to a mall that is beyond resuscitation and is replaced by something new - it gets 'scraped.'... Once, hundreds of people gathered at Buckingham Square for craft shows, baby contests and arm-wrestling matches. On this day, a lone security guard chews on a straw and leans against a wall. More than half of the stores are closed. Buckingham is dying because it is part of the old. Shoppers want the new. People want to shop in open-air 'lifestyle centers,' with stand-alone boutiques and discount stores."