The Surprising Scale of America’s Dead Mall Problem Behind the empty food courts and shuttered storefronts, there’s a quiet crisis that’s much bigger than a few failed shopping trips. Recent data ...

Dead trees and shrubbery are splayed across the skeleton of an abandoned mall in Cleveland, Ohio, in this April 2014 file photo. The photographer, Seph Lawless, is known for photos of abandoned spaces ...

Before the rise of online shopping, malls were the heart of social life in America. Beyond stores and sales, they were places to hang out, grab a bite, catch a movie, or discover the latest trends.