'Mall Backlash' A Growing Trend

"Holiday shopping everywhere, and not a mall in sight. Lebanon, Ohio, draws throngs of shoppers from a 15-county area to its historic downtown's three dozen shops and numerous restaurants. People come for the experience of a small town downtown, and a unique selection of merchandise.

This traditional downtown (and others like it around the country)is the old urban precursor to the growing trend of "lifestyle malls."

"Nationwide, shopping centers now offer 20 square feet of retail space per person - quadruple the 1970 ratio. That glut leaves some people longing for more relaxed shopping experiences."