No, that last point is not a reference to the fact that a church is undertaking the estimated $1 billion effort to reinvent the Crossroads Plaza and ZCMI Center.

Instead, such elements are part of a national blueprint for how to fix obsolete malls, according to the Washington, D.C.-based Urban Land Institute (ULI), which this summer released a report titled Ten Principles for Rethinking the Mall.

Among the developers, designers, planners and public officials who studied ways to make over the cookie-cutter malls of yesterday was Louis Zunguze, Salt Lake City's community development director.

And Zunguze, who has worked with the church during its three-year design process, says the church and its partners largely have followed the ULI template.

The new design is a hybrid of indoor and outdoor spaces, he said. The blank, brick walls facing surrounding blocks are gone. Connections are made to Temple Square and Abravanel Hall.

In other words, the new mall - dubbed The Shops at City Square by the church's development partner - no longer will be an island.

"The attempt they've made in creating that openness bodes so well," Zunguze said Monday, hours before a private viewing of the latest design the church will present to the public today at 5:30 p.m.

For the mall to succeed, he said, it must integrate itself into downtown. "It is a 1,000-pound gorilla. It's got such a huge influence on the way downtown can be. It's not so much how the mall is built. It's how it's built into the downtown so it creates success."

The ULI report tells the tale of the decline of enclosed malls. It's also the story of Crossroads and ZCMI.

These single-use, climate-controlled, monolithic behemoths once were all the rage. The report calls them the "greatest machine for consumption that the world has ever seen." Now, notes the report, such malls are an anachronism.

Malls faltered as they faced competition from new, upscale lifestyle centers - such Salt Lake City's The Gateway - and less expensive big-box, outlet and Internet shopping.

Anchor stores often drive the need for revamped malls, says the report. That happened in Utah's capital as Nordstrom sought to bolt from Crossroads and open shop at The Gateway. Not wanting a blighted mall next to its most sacred space, Temple Square, the church stepped in and bought Crossroads in 2003 - starting on the redevelopment path and persuading Nordstrom to stay.

The fortresslike architecture of older malls also has been a bane. They don't appeal to today's shoppers, who desire an urban experience with pedestrian-friendly streets, open space and varied architecture, according to the ULI.

"Customers are now seeking authenticity and a deeper sense of connection to their community, culture, climate, and daily lives," the report says. "Among many shoppers, there is also an emerging preference for outdoor, street-front shopping experiences - either in new centers or in older shopping districts - that are better integrated with other daily activities."

That means malls shouldn't be the same in Sandy as Salt Lake City.

And forget predictable shopping experiences. That's why developers are adding movie theaters and restaurants and even grocery stores or recreation centers. The Gateway touts the Clark Planetarium and the newly opened Discovery Gateway children's museum. A mall planned for New Jersey, called Meadowlands Xanadu, calls for fashion shows, a three-story-tall video wall and a snow dome for year-round indoor skiing.

And if they are smart, developers include housing. The report says the most successful retail is linked to housing - which is what the church is doing. At one time, church plans called for adding up to 900 units to the mall blocks - providing ready customers for the retail while the stores lure residents.

Now for the soul.

Of course new malls must have their tangible anchors and shops. But to compete with other retailers, it must become a community anchor, says the report. "People don't gather at Wal-Mart; they don't go for the experience, the environment, the point of view."

That's what malls can do by adding gathering spots, people-watching, unique architecture and chances to see the sky and feel the weather.

"Create a soul, and uplift the human spirit," advises the report.

The church's development partner, Michigan-based Taubman Centers Inc., appears to be following the ULI's advice. While for years the developer has built indoor malls, its latest designs are open-air marketplaces that include entertainment draws and gathering spaces.

For example, The Mall at Partridge Creek, in Michigan, will boast fountains, park benches, dog-friendly landscaped walkways, bocce ball courts, outdoor flat-screen TVs and a gathering place with a stone fireplace. Its anchors will include Nordstrom, and it will have 90 other stores, restaurants and a 14-screen movie theater. And the mall is the centerpiece of a new housing development that includes single-family homes, town houses and condos.

One thing hasn't changed for malls: Shoppers want easy access to parking. Shopping should be pleasant, says the report, and the "pleasurable feeling begins with parking."

hmay@sltrib.com

On TV and on the Web

* Read an online update about the church's plans for downtown Salt Lake City today after 5:30 p.m. at http://www.sltrib.com.

* Cable TV subscribers can see the meeting broadcast live starting at 5:30 p.m. on SLC-TV Channel 17. The meeting also will be streamed live with audio and visual on the Internet at http://www.slctv.com.

Five keys to mall success

* PARKING: Retail will fail if shoppers cannot get to it. Transit - such as TRAX - is vital. But most consumers still drive, so parking should be visible, secure, convenient. Valet service and even bicycle parking are catching on.

* ENVIRONMENT: Shoppers want to see the sky and smell the flowers. They want to shop at spots that reflect their culture and climate. Even LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley sees the overhauled mall blocks as "protecting the environment of Temple Square."

* CONNECT TO SURROUNDINGS: Gone are the days of browsing in a fortress. Malls should link to other community anchors and surrounding neighborhoods - like, say, Temple Square and Abravanel Hall.

* SENSE OF COMMUNITY: Like it or not, malls are de facto downtowns. They should create a "strong sense of place" with public gathering spots, varied architecture and a diverse mix of goods. Newer malls include draws such as playgrounds, outdoor TVs and bocce ball courts. The Gateway boasts a popular pop-up fountain.

* MIX IT UP: Move beyond the predictable retail mix of department stores, clothing shops and food courts. Add entertainment to draw more spenders. The Gateway has a children's museum and a planetarium. A mall in Spain includes an indoor ski slope and a mini-car driving track. Housing is critical, too. The LDS Church has said the downtown malls will include housing - up to 900 units. These residents provide a customer base for the retail, and the retail provides a lure for residents.

Sources: Urban Land Institute's report, Ten Principles for Rethinking the Mall; Tribune reporting