One thing that can be done even retroactively is encouraging through tax reductions or whatever existing ugly malls to plant strips of greens or trees in their ugly parking lots..even 10% trees can make a huge difference..some parking lots, such as Shoreline city hall (near Seattle) are like parks...I think Northgate Mall is one of the worst abominations on the face of the earth...for new construction it could be easily made into part of the building code process..such and such a percentage of trees. Not everything is irreversible...a few jackhammers and a few urban foresters and change is made...mg