Hanging out at the Mall

resource: tool
Written By Design Studio for Social Intervention DS4SI

In many of our towns and cities, the mall is functioning as more than just a mall. It's a teen center, a walking track, a people watching place, a cooling station... the list goes on.

In fact, the mall is playing roles that might be better played by other kinds of spaces- public spaces.

Instructions

For 20 - 30 minutes:

With one (or two people), go to your town/ city's popular mall. Sketch, write down, or in other ways, capture all of the roles you see the mall playing for public life.  

Debrief questions:

  • What roles did you see the mall playing?

  • What is attractive about the mall?

  • What roles could be better played by public spaces? 

  • What would be different if these things were done in public spaces?

  • What would it take to get public spaces to take up those roles?

See other everyday life activities

All Resource Content
Hanging out at the Mall
Hanging out at the Mall

In many of our towns and cities, the mall is functioning as more than just a mall. It's a teen center, a walking track, a people watching place, a cooling station... the list goes on. In fact, the mall is playing roles that might be better played by other kinds of spaces- public spaces.

Observing Fandom: Learning from the Ordinary
Observing Fandom: Learning from the Ordinary

Every year, there’s always a new sports season. These seasonal sports shape the experience of our town, city, or place. One way these events change our experience of a place is through the arrival of that particular sport's fandom. What are the sports events that affect life where you live?

Space Bingo
Space Bingo

This is a great exercise to help you and your collaborators to talk about spaces and to look at spaces in new ways. It works equally well across scale, from a school campus to a city or town.

Design Studio for Social Intervention DS4SI
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