The Decoder Ring podcast did an episode[1] recently about the supposed death of the mall. It's a fun listen and covers a lot of the history and evolution of the mall as a concept and how it shaped, and was shaped by, transportation changes in the US. It also goes into the social importance they have had over the years and how that has evolved.

[1] - https://slate.com/podcasts/decoder-ring/2022/07/is-the-shopp...