As critical as I am of the impact of shopping malls on urban life in São Paulo, I still cannot avoid them completely. Whether it is because I am short on time but need to stop by the supermarket and buy a birthday present; or because the movie I want to see is only playing at that specific time in that particular mall; or because my children love the play area on the rooftop of Shopping Pátio Higienópolis and, since I really need to buy new sneakers, we end up going there.
Ultimately, it is the convenience and practicality offered by shopping malls that explain, at least in part, their enormous success among São Paulo residents. While much is said about the “death of malls in North America,” for example, as analyzed by Nolan Gray in an article published in Caos Planejado, malls here remain one of the preferred leisure and shopping options for residents of Greater São Paulo.
