[Lee Stewart]

European-born Victor Gruen is said to be the father of the American shopping mall, having conceived the first examples back in the 1950s. He imagined a space where shopping and culture could come together in a single inclusive space, much like in a European city center. However, he later realized that American malls had actually "destroyed [...] cities" and what was left of many downtown walkable city centers and bitterly regretted the part he played in their invention.