by Christina Pomoni

Created on: July 12, 2010

The outward spread of both urban and rural sites is a reality of modern life. The previously varying suburbs of America are characterized by a more harmonized aesthetic after the World War II when striping malls and consumerism emerged along with the entire generation of baby boomers. With plenty of income to spend, consumerists have altered the culture of the United States transforming it into a country of huge possibilities.

The emergence of strip malls is related to considerable changes that occurred since the half of the past century. The migration of the U.S. population to suburban areas and the use of automobile as the main transportation means for shopping trips have altered retailing. The improvements in the highway systems have led to the dispersion of retail shopping centers all over the urban areas, particularly to those that demonstrated rapid population and economic growth. This led to the development of strip malls and shopping malls.

Although the large expansion of strip malls occurred in the 1950s with the rise of suburban living, the first strip mall dates back in the 1920s, with the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri. Since then, the architecture varies, but the concept remains the same. Being a collection of typically connected buildings that share a common off-street parking lot and are built on a high-capacity commercial road, a strip mall has an inward facing design promoting the theory that customers would be better intrigued to shop if they feel protected in a controlled environment.

The structure of a strip mall targets both those buyers who will drive there to make their shopping, but also passerby who will stop to buy something. Typically, strip malls have ample parking space and feature big box stores or category killers. They may also feature services including hairdresser, laundry services, and takeout food, among others. Generally, strip malls satisfy the shopping needs of nearby residents, but also provide affordable retail spaces for start-ups and small businesses.

The architecture of strip malls is very diverse. Although older strip malls are usually arranged in a plain, straightforward way, modern strip malls are built in a more complex architecture that may even break the whole structure into smaller buildings to provide a sense of scale. Modern strip malls aim at attracting the more affluent consumers. However, strip malls have been often criticized for being ugly and contributing to the downfall of local businesses by offering low cost products and services. Yet, there is no doubt that their architecture maximizes usable space, while lowering real estate costs, thus allowing for competitive prices and offering reasonably priced products and services to consumers.

Today, strip malls are ever-present in urbanized areas. Regardless of the criticism they may encounter, it is a fact that through the offering of small-scale retail products and services, they give confidence to smaller businesses in off-street centers.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strip_mall

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_sprawl

http://www.businessedge.ca/archives/article.cfm/stri p-malls-shine-in-retailing-firmament-11471

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