People Fixing the World - What to do with an empty mall?

Download What to do with an empty mall?

US shopping malls, once a mainstay of American life, are in decline. Forty malls have closed since 2020, while more than 230 department stores have closed in the same time period, according to Green Street, a real estate analytics firm.

But where there is change, there is also opportunity.

After Burlington High School in Vermont had to close its doors because dangerous chemicals were found, the school hopped into a site vacated by Macy’s department store five years earlier.

The children now ride the escalator to class. Elsewhere, malls have been converted into offices, casinos or large healthcare facilities. We explore the surprising second life being offered to these temples of consumerism.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter: William Kremer
Series producer: Tom Colls
Sound Mix: Anne Gardiner
Editor: Penny Murphy

Email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk

Image: Pupils at a school in a department store.

Published on Tuesday, 30th May 2023.

Available Podcasts from People Fixing the World

Subscribe to People Fixing the World

We are not the BBC, we only list available podcasts. To find out more about the programme including episodes available on BBC iPlayer, go to the People Fixing the World webpage.