There was a time when California’s growth assured a steady clientele to big box malls. California built them throughout the 1960s-80s, and the mall concept worked exceedingly well. Then came a change in the way people shopped, how much of their income they could spend on clothing and brand items, and the unimaginable closure of department stores–May Company, Broadway, Montgomery Wards and Mervyn’s, to name a few. These big box anchors often left gaps in the “box”.

The trend today that is re-thinking malls brings new housing to a mall center and takes the mall outdoors. In California where residents spend so much time outside, the outdoor mall has become a free place to gather, let the kids wander, get free entertainment with concerts, kids story times, and community celebrations–Christmas, Easter and 4th of July, to name some.

I tried to park at my local mall yesterday to use a $25 gift certificate at The Cheesecake Factory and $10 off any purchase at Kohl’s Department Store. The outdoor mall I went to used to be one of those big boxes that sat and languished for years after major department stores closed, one after another– till finally someone purchased the land and re-designed the mall.

Yesterday was like any other day. The parking lot was a zoo of cars looking for spots, and people milling around the mall. In the parking lot next to the mall where a Levitz furniture store used to sit, they’re constructing high-rise residential condominiums. Sure the mall sits next to one of Southern California’s busiest and most congested freeways. But with triple pain windows and air-conditioning in your new condo, you’ll hardly notice the sound. The condos are some of the lowest priced housing units available, allowing residents to step out their door and eat, watch a movie, shop at Whole Foods, and be entertained by the free concerts hosted on weekends in the courtyard. It’s one of the best plans for the current housing market and retailers.

While Internet shopping continues to increase in popularity, the physical mall had to do something to survive. A mix of shops, restaurants and amenities seems to be the best bet at this point for success, as I can attest during my visit yesterday to a mall where I ate, bought a clothing item, and stood in the courtyard for a few moments, watching the children play around the towering Christmas Tree.