When I was at my college (the one my Bachelor's degree is from, not the other eight i've attended) I was reading the latest issue of Harvard Business Review. I haven't read it much lately, since I had to do a lot of case studies for my Master's degree. I remember enjoying reading it, and I was conducting research to discover HBR's predictions for the future, based on changes in the economy.
One particular article caught my attention. It was written by a woman who is an interior designer. She discussed how numerous malls have many stores folding. At first I thought, "well isn't that depressing." But I kept reading. What I thought was neat was that this will be a trend, but it's making way for a happier environment.
Imagine more "pedestrian friendly", beautiful areas, that have housing (think cool condos), stores that are more individualized, a nice coffee shop, library, ice skating rink, etc. Basically, a nice little "cozy" happy mini world.
Now, that sounded MUCH nicer than the huge, crowded outlet and mega malls of today. Which I suppose do serve a purpose, if you're in the market for the best deal on a new pair of workout shoes or your blender took a dive and you want a great price. But, many will go online in order to find the best deals, especially around the stressful holidays.
I haven't really liked "going to the mall" much since I was in college. Too noisy, too crowded, too many people, too many screaming children. Plus, the incredible aroma from Cinnabon and the various pizza chains are way too tempting.
As I was driving home from the library, my mind started meandering, and I thought, it's kind of like my first college. I loved it. It was a small, private college. The dorms, meal area, gym, swimming pool, and hang out areas were in one building. Classrooms were in the other building. They were connected by a beautiful arched walkway. Or, if it was winter, you could take the underground tunnel between the two. I loved it! And beautiful architecture, landscaping, fountain, arches, and trees galore. It was, and still is, my favorite college.
Also, it's kind of like Star Trek (The Next Generation, that is the only one I know and love). You have your holodeck where you can go, and be and do anything you want. You have the bar area to hang out and drink beautiful concoctions and socialize. You have your own living quarters (which appear to be nice and quite, and a great place to go when desiring solitude). You can walk pretty much anywhere. A nice, happy, little living community. Actually, when I was in college, I used to pretend I was a starfleet academy cadet (yes I have quite a vivid imagination). Especially when I took my physics-based astronomy class in the evening. I had my whole world right there. It was fabulous. No "big 10" for me, thank you.
It is definitely one future prediction that I think is a wonderful idea.
--Elizabeth
http://www.bluefizzure.com/
Photo courtesy of the Museum of the History of Science in Oxford
