I always hated the trend of malls removing plants and fountains. Particularly at Scarborough Town Centre and Markville Mall.
Even the best malls were always crap on the outside.
Their potential was in giving you a car-free main street in the interior that they could augment with features from the best public squares (fountains/water features/art/trees/flowers etc. All of which could have 4 seasons of life/operation due to being indoors.
The best malls, like the best main streets were also a bit unique; similar to what you knew, but not the quite the same as anywhere else.
The sterility and sameness of the 2 current mall-owning behemoths CF and Oxford is incredibly unfortunate.
There has been some progress over the years, to be fair; some move to better food courts (away from fixed plastic seating to warmer, more pleasant fixtures that are flexible/movable)........
as well as to a certain amount of curation (mixing in variety and non-chain retail)
But those modest gains don't really offset the losses; and neither addresses the fundamental flaws of retail that turns its back on the outside world, most typically surrounded by a seas of parking.
Again, this bit we are beginning to see a fair few plans to change.........and yet, most centre around leaving the existing impermeable blob at the centre in tact.
Sigh.