Do We Really Need More Shopping Malls?

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As I passed the street where Ocean Tower stands “exquisite”, as many would call, I felt a keen sense of poignancy within my heart. It is not that it is lacking in any way, or that there is some sort of flaw in its’ structure or interior. No, not at all! In fact, it is quite magnificent. What made me feel this wave of regret was the thought – “Do we actually need it?

Weren’t Dolmen City Mall or Park Towers servicing the populace well enough that such a need for more malls arose? What new facilities was this mall offering? If you ask me, then I see nothing with enough weight to quote. It happens to offer the exact same brands with probably only a difference in floor number. The sites which could have been utilized for more valuable purposes, in my view, are being wasted.

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Resources being scarce, must be prioritized rather than being used mindlessly. “C’mon, had it not been to these places, where would you then hang out?’’ I remember my friend telling me this when I shared my thoughts with her. Well, we really do not need such lavish malls for merely social purposes. For me, the existing ones were doing an incredible job. The time and money frittered in the construction of these malls could be allocated for more productive aspects.

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We are in dire need of educational platforms; considering the hiking fee of schools and colleges, the capital could have been worked towards the establishment of quality and affordable institutes. We all know how terrific our girls were in the WT20 2016 – we have immense talent and all we need is a forum to unite and polish it.

The stature of sports, for example, can be given a whole new meaning if we start academies for cricket and football to nurture and hone the pool of talent we have in Pakistan. Or why not put the money to recreational facilities for the public and make some sprawling community parks for families to enjoy some picnics and quality time.

children-playingsource: google

In addition to this, considering the ratio of increasing rents and stagnant salary packages, the resources could be allocated for the provision of affordable housing. Health is another major concern. Clean drinking water and quality healthcare in the form of affordable clinics – this is what we need right now.

My intention is not at all to bash the construction of these malls, but to highlight what our country and cities are in desperate need of. The shiny malls sure add to the brighter side of our country, but it is education and health which is going to take it forward to new heights of success and prosperity.

 

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