The Ephemeral Shopping Mall

Harundale Mall, one of the first enclosed malls built in the country, is now a strip mall. This article contains an examination of its somber decline and the direction in which Harundale--and other malls--may be headed next.

1 minute read

October 3, 2008, 9:00 AM PDT

By Judy Chang


"It is ironic that Rouse's project ended up as a strip mall, said Joshua Olsen, who wrote a biography of the developer, because he had envisioned Harundale Mall as an antidote to the aesthetically and socially impoverished strip shopping center.

'It's strange to talk about the community and malls, but that's very much what he wanted to do is create a place where people could gather and at least rub elbows,' Olsen said."

"People may say they like [strip retail centers], but such boosters may be unaware of the alternatives, [Ed McMahon, senior resident fellow for sustainable development at the Urban Land Institute] said. He imagines that many strip malls will go through transformations to become friendlier to residents, transit and pedestrians.

Michael Beyard, also a fellow at the Urban Land Institute, agreed. 'We think that, slowly, communities will recognize that these older strips have outlived their usefulness,' he said. 'There could be opportunity there.'"

Thursday, October 2, 2008 in The Baltimore Sun

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Bird's eye view of large apartment complex under construction next to four-lane road near Atlanta, Georgia.

How Atlanta Built 7,000 Housing Units in 3 Years

The city’s comprehensive, neighborhood-focused housing strategy focuses on identifying properties and land that can be repurposed for housing and encouraging development in underserved neighborhoods.

April 9, 2025 - Governing

People walking up and down stairs in New York City subway station.

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving

Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

4 hours ago - Scientific American

White public transit bus with bike on front bike rack in Nashville, Tennessee.

Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan

Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.

5 hours ago - Bloomberg CityLab

An engineer controlling a quality of water ,aerated activated sludge tank at a waste water treatment plant.

Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding

The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.

6 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive