# Life Cycle Approach to Shopping Mall Redevelopment: A Model for Service Life Design
## 1 Introduction  
Shopping malls, as architectural models of consumer culture from the second half of the 20 th century, are today confronted with a range of spatial, functional, economic, and environmental challenges [1]. Spatial challenges relate to outdated spatial organization, poor connectivity with the urban context, and inadequate accessibility. Functional challenges include limited spatial flexibility and the inability to adapt to contemporary user needs and behaviors. Economic challenges are reflected in reduced business profitability, high vacancy rates, and declining investment attractiveness. Environmental challenges encompass high energy consumption, inefficiencies in existing systems, and a negative environmental impact in cases where demolition is favored over renovation. For these reasons many of them are losing their original function and becoming underutilized or degraded spaces, raising questions about their future within contemporary urban contexts.  
This issue is increasingly reflected in modern assessments of spatial and technical requirements, especially in terms of functionality, maintenance, and adaptability [2]. Consequently, the revitalization of shopping malls is not only an architectural challenge but also a socially, economically, and environmentally significant task.  
The intensive development of shopping centers in the United States began in the 1950s and peaked in the early 2000s, when the country reached the highest retail space per capita in the world. However, the growth of e-commerce, investor preference for open-air retail formats, and the COVID-19 pandemic led to stagnation and the closure of numerous malls. Simultaneously, the construction of lifestyle and open-air malls increased [3; 4]. Estimates suggest that the number of operational malls in the U.S. could decline from around 1200 in 2025 to 900 by 2028, with over 2 million m\({}^{2}\) of retail space demolished during 2022 alone [5]. In Europe, the pace of development has slowed since 2015, while Asia--particularly China--has experienced rapid growth, with more than 4000 new malls built since 2020 [4].  
In response to these developments, many malls worldwide have undergone revitalization and adaptive reuse [6; 7]. Mixed-use strategies that incorporate residential, office, healthcare, and recreational functions are increasingly applied as sustainable solutions [3]. The implementation of universal design principles has also gained importance, now evaluated through quantitative methods in commercial facilities. Similar processes have taken place in Serbia, where former department stores in major cities have been transformed into contemporary shopping centers [1]. The phenomenon of the \"death of malls\" is often attributed to outdated infrastructure, unsustainable business models, and low economic feasibility of renovation. Nonetheless, many aging shopping malls are located in areas with strong urban infrastructure, supporting the rationale for their redevelopment [8]. Case studies of successful projects, such as the recent revitalizations in Germany managed by Sonae Sierra, illustrate the application of multicriteria approaches in real-world urban contexts and highlight the potential for systematizing evaluation methods for broader use [9; 10].  
Contrary to approaches favoring demolition and new construction, contemporary architectural practice increasingly values strategies of transformation and reuse of existing structures, which preserve resources and reactivate urban zones. This topic is particularly relevant as it integrates architectural design, facility management, and sustainable development, offering a model that can inform strategic decisions in urban planning, architecture, and investment practices.  
This study is important because it does not treat shopping malls as disposable architectures but rather as resources that, with a strategically guided approach, can serve as models for sustainable urban transformation.