The Borderlands Mall: Form and function of an imported landscape

Abstract

Abstract For an economic innovation to succeed in the developing world, it must adapt to the social and economic structures of the host society. Some scholars consider the Mexican shopping mall an imported innovation that has altered the traditional landscape of urban commerce. This paper details how the landscape form and business functions of two regional shopping malls in Ciudad Juarez, the Plaza Juarez and Rio Grande malls, reflect their unique borderlands location. It then analyzes the form and function of traditional commerce in Ciudad Juarez, including street vendors, markets, and downtown stores. Next, traditional commerce is compared to shopping malls of the city. The study demonstrates that Ciudad Juarez's shopping malls have undergone an adaptive process, adopting the “recession proof” form and function of the informal economic sector. This assures the permanence of these facilities in a region dominated by transborder retail trade.