The Maul Of America

The nation’s largest shopping center, which last month celebrated its 12th birthday, claims it has everything a visitor could possibly want in an urban environment. Nonsense. The mall boasts none of the real and durable civic equipment that an authentic city can offer — green spaces, outdoor cafes, bike lanes, quality jazz clubs, sporting events, or a river running through it. What the mall presents is a climate-controlled 4.2 million square-foot retail riot large enough to house 32 Boeing 747’s, and so busy that the building is now one of the top tourist attractions in the United States.