Buildings are among the most lasting of human creations.
Their forms and functions are evidence of the dynamic social life that has long been tied to centers of economic and political power.
One ancient structure and gathering place,
the marketplace,
has evolved into what we call today the regional shopping center or mall.
It is often constructed on a site so big that it requires a location outside of the crowded urban center.
There it sometimes develops into a commercial rival to the older city center.