Remodeling Bankrupt Malls

In the middle of this recession, we can justify scaling back for the common good and improve the lives of the common people for good! If gigantic malls are going bankrupt, fewer malls might give way to more open space. Fewer restaurants might lead to more gardens for communities to grow their own food, prepare it together, and eat it together in well structured community centers in local parks. Fewer fast food joints would definitely lead to more healthy people. And, of course, with fewer car dealerships we could use those showrooms for more after school programs for kids and cheap to free weekend events for families.

For the hundreds of thousands who have become unemployed, more retraining in community infrastructure jobs like nurses, doctors, social workers, teachers, police, fire fighters, camp leaders, mentors, designers, landscapers and engineers who are skilled in building new parks, etc. If we increase communal efforts to raise psychologically and emotionally healthy families, training others to do it would create more jobs. Government would not need to create the jobs if creative and competent entrpreneurs are given tax friendly terms to do business and, perhaps, low cost lease agreements in old mall space or car dealerships for their headquarters.

Fewer malls could make way for more affordable housing and rehabilitation centers for the mentally ill homeless.

I see so many possibilities in helping ourselves and our neighbors with less of what we have allowed to become needs when the extras are merely unnecessary altogether. Many in the sustainable living village see it and live it as well. When we let stuff go, we open ourselves to exciting and more efficient lifestyles and it's all good. Freedom!