With more comfortable automobiles and convenient highways, residents no longer feel strong loyalty to local merchants and their businesses. They feel free to travel to the nearest shopping center or mall. In the 1960s, shopping centers began growing into serious competitors for downtown's customers. It is a competition that largely has been won by the ubiquitous shopping centers, malls, strip commercial areas and major discount centers. Given these changes, critical questions arise.
Downtowns represent the economic core of most urbanized regions.
Downtowns have traditionally been the center of community activity, and still present the principal image of a city. In many ways, healthy downtowns represent healthy communities.