Developer Rick Caruso Builds New 'Historical Landmarks'

Rick Caruso aims to reinvent a cultural icon -- the mall.

1 minute read

December 7, 2004, 8:00 AM PST

By Abhijeet Chavan @http://twitter.com/legalaidtech

"At 45, Caruso is dashing, fabulously rich, politically connected and determined to reinvent one of the country's most ubiquitous cultural icons-the mall...

His vision of his so-called "lifestyle center" is becoming increasingly popular among developers, who are building faux street-scene-type malls all over the country...With the help of Hollywood set designers and a team of architects, the developer has mastered the art of making things deliberately fake. His malls are facsimiles of city life, seeking to capture the well-moneyed baby boomers' gauzy memories of their youth.

. His critics complain that his projects are as hollow as the facades on a Hollywood set, that he replicates the past while discarding the grittiness that gives old buildings their soul."

Thanks to Rosemarie Ibanez

FULL STORY: Alternate reality

Wednesday, December 1, 2004 in The Los Angeles Times

History / Preservation California

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Start Learning

Advertise with us

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.