Owning the customer in Salt Lake City

In Salt Lake City, Taubman Malls wants to build a skywalk, so that they won't lose their customers to outside street influences between buildings. Mayor Anderson said no, but the developers have done a full court press to overturn that decision. See "LoMain Rising," from the Salt Lake City Weekly plus "Council overrides sky bridge veto,"and this column "Developer: Trust us on sky bridge" from the Salt Lake Tribune.

Capital will always trump public realm concerns if it is believed that they can make more money by ignoring it. (Marginal returns.)

By now, it's pretty much understood that allowing skyways in central business districts makes it even more difficult to revitalize downtown streets and downtown retail.

For more on the link between Alfred Taubman and modern mall-based retailing, see "Terrazo Jungle: Fifty years ago, the mall was born.America would never be the same," from the New Yorker.