Governments too often give politically well-connected developers cut-rate land, eating into scarce public space
Save time by listening to our audio articles as you multitaskAsia’s glass-and-concrete malls sucking city dwellers indoors mark a huge architectural and cultural break.
In the densest conurbations, the concept goes a step further. Various malls are connected by underground tunnels or, more dramatically, sky-bridges. Discouraged from ever touching the ground outside, you float for miles through elevated rivers of retail and entertainment bliss, sampling shops, eateries, cinemas, exhibitions, play areas, skating rinks and even parks. High-rise housing blocks also connect, allowing residents to descend to heaven.
Nor is the flâneur nourished once inside the pleasure domes. There sit the same store brands and the same eateries . Artificial light replaces the natural kind, an intentional disruption to circadian rhythms to keep you trapped in mall-time. Less heaven than inescapable purgatory. In the malls along Singapore’s Orchard Road, getting out is a challenge. You pop your head above ground like a marmot, to find that you are in the wrong place.
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