In many places, the mall is the community’s de facto downtown—the main public gathering spot—as well as a highly valued shopping location. As a result, what happens to the mall may ultimately define what happens to the community. ...  As traffic congestion reaches crisis proportions in many locations, the vaunted convenience of mall shopping is disappearing. Most malls can be reached by only one means—the automobile—and, in more and more metropolitan areas, this puts them at a disadvantage in relation to locations that are walkable or linked to public transit, and that offer more multidimensional urban environments