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by Jon Paul Callahan (Author), Joya Stevenson (Editor), Eoin Ryan (Cover Design by)
Remember the mall?
- The smell of fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies and soft pretzels in the food court.
- The sounds of fountain water splashing, and an organ store demo playing a Bossa Nova.
- The kaleidoscope of flashing lights emanating from the gaming arcade and the glow of neon lights on storefront marquees.
For those who experienced it, a day at the mall in the 1980s and 1990s was pure magic.
At one time, the mall was more than a place to shop-it was the unofficial town square of most suburban communities in America. Since 2000, malls have been failing at an increasing rate, contributing to the proliferation of dead malls in every state. You've wondered why. And what happens when the heart of a suburban community vanishes? Dead Mall Rising answers these urgent questions.
Functioning as the definitive case study on the American dead mall, we focus on the El Con Mall in Tucson, Arizona-a perfect microcosm of this seismic shift-to uncover:
- The untold story of how the mall became the true "town square" of suburban America.
- The shifting consumer habits that contributed to the mall's demise.
- The profound sociological impact of losing these massive cultural anchors.
Whether you're a fan of dead malls, mall-related nostalgia, or consumer culture, this book is your key to understanding the life and death of the American shopping mall. But in addition to providing a comprehensive historical overview, Dead Mall Rising takes you back in time, allowing you to experience what the mall was like and what it meant to the local community. No other book has the combination of historical insight and personal, nostalgic immersion in the shopping mall experience.
Loaded with stories about people, stores, and events from El Con's history, and featuring over 100 images, infographics, and detailed mall directories, this 401-page book is the definitive case study on dead malls.
