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As sacred as ancestral shrines in Japan, mosques in Iran, or beaches in Brazil, the shopping mall has for decades been a place of worship in the United States. Since its inception in the 1940s, it’s grown to define and represent the very culture of mainstream America - and like other representations of the American culture, the mall has been copied and appropriated by nations the world over. But now, while sprawling indoor shopping centers and hypermarkets flourish in far-off countries of the first, second, and third worlds, the mall in America might be on its way out. Not one new indoor shopping mall will be built in America till at least 2009, compared to 5 built in 2005. In 2002 just 19% of U.S. retail purchases were made in malls, down from 38% in 1995. A December 19 article in the Economist tries to pinpoint the reasons behind the decline:

A survey of 22,000 US folk suggests that green issues are more of a concern for consumers than many brands hope. The survey by Information Resources asked Americans to determine the impact of four key sustainability features in their product and store selection-organic, eco-friendly products, eco-friendly packaging and fair treatment of employees and suppliers. The results show that approximately 50 percent of U.S. consumers consider at least one sustainability factor in selecting consumer packaged goods items and choosing where to shop for those products.

Remember the Illy house? The shipping container that would unfold at the push of a button to reveal a fully furnished, highly functional pre-fab coffee shop? People went crazy for the New York installation of the Quik House.