The luxury of Asia’s malls is no substitute for genuine public spaces
The continent needs places where anyone can picnic, hang out or even protest
The shopping mall was invented, nearly 70 years ago, in America. It was then copied in Europe. Yet Asia has inarguably made the shopping mall its own. Eight of the world’s ten biggest malls are in the region; exclude China and five still remain, all in South-East Asia.
This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “Incredible hulks”
Asia June 4th 2022
- Imran Khan is jeopardising Pakistan’s attempts to fix its economy
- Kazakhstani voters may revoke their ex-president’s vast privileges
- China’s e-sports players are challenging South Korea’s dominance
- Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war pushed poor families deeper into penury
- Vietnam is leading the transition to clean energy in South-East Asia
- The luxury of Asia’s malls is no substitute for genuine public spaces
From the June 4th 2022 edition
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