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Mallrats can thank Victor Gruen for today's one-stop retail therapy boxes, which he later called "bastard developments [that] destroyed our cities." (Ouch.) Named the father of the shopping mall, the socialist Austrian architect envisioned busy communal centers of art and commerce inspired by his homeland—but this is America, so instead we got indoor behemoths so beloved by the likes of Cher Horowitz.
While insiders profess the same disdain for megamalls, Gruen might be happy to know that his vision isn't exactly dead—just this year, a handful of open-air live/work/play megadevelopments are set upgrade LA's retail scene in a major way. Below, see the latest updates from last fall's roll call and tell us which ones excite you the most.
Photo: El Segundo's shiny new The Point.
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