A new study published in the Journal of Cities looked at how shopping centres function as social spaces in everyday life.
“I wanted to understand what draws people to spend time there beyond shopping, how they use these places for social reasons, and how everyday social life unfolds in such settings,” study author Gry Rustad Pettersen told us. « At its core, the study explores whether shopping centres can function as informal meeting places that help people feel connected.”
Based on earlier research, the researchers expected that people would value shopping centres for their accessibility and familiarity. Pettersen was also curious to see whether these places played a social role that is often overlooked.
“I had a sense that shopping centres might matter more to some people than others, and that social differences could shape who uses them as social spaces, particularly in the Norwegian context,” Pettersen told us. “I have a background in urban planning and place development, and I became interested in understanding why people choose to spend time in shopping centres.”
Pettersen explained that shopping spaces are often criticized and rarely taken seriously as social environments, despite being widely used in everyday life. At the same time, loneliness and social isolation are growing concerns.
« On a personal level, I have never been particularly drawn to shopping centres myself, which made me curious about why they seem to matter so much to others,” Pettersen told us. “That curiosity led me to explore whether these ordinary and often overlooked places might play a more important social role than we tend to acknowledge.”
For this study, Pettersen spent time with people while they were actually visiting a shopping centre, talking with them as they walked around, sat down, or simply observed others. This ‘go-along’ approach made it possible to understand social experiences as they unfold in the moment, rather than only through people’s memories afterward.
“I also carried out observations and spoke with staff to gain a broader sense of how the centre was used day to day,” Pettersen told us. « More broadly, this study is part of a larger PhD project that combines different methods. Alongside the interviews, I reviewed existing research on shopping centres and social life and conducted a population-based survey. Together, these approaches allowed me to look at the topic from multiple angles, connecting individual experiences to wider patterns.”
The study showed that many people use shopping centres as meaningful social spaces. Participants valued simply being among other people, even without direct interaction, as well as small moments of connection such as brief conversations or being recognized by staff or acquaintances. For some, these everyday encounters gradually developed into friendships.
Overall, the shopping centre emerged as a familiar, accessible and low-pressure environment where people could feel part of everyday social life without having to make plans or meet social expectations.
“What surprised me was how much simply being among others mattered to many participants,” Pettersen told us. “Sitting in a lively environment, even without direct interaction, could be emotionally meaningful. I was particularly struck by how shopping centres helped ease people’s experience of loneliness, and how deliberately some individuals made them part of their daily routines during difficult life situations.”
The findings suggest that shopping centres can function as part of the social infrastructure of towns and cities. This does not mean they replace traditional public spaces, but that they can complement them.
“Going forward, the results highlight the importance of recognizing and supporting everyday, low-threshold environments that allow people to participate in social life in modest but meaningful ways,” Pettersen told us. “I would emphasise that this study is not about idealising shopping centres or promoting consumption. Rather, it shows how people make use of the environments that are already available to them. Understanding these everyday practices can help us think more broadly about how social connection is supported in ordinary settings, and what kinds of places make cities and communities more liveable.”