The author, Joel Kotkin, definitely has a preconceived notion about development, suburbia, and malls. (That being, he is a booster for all three, for example, see http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2013/04/30/kotkin_on_sub...)

I mention this ad hominem tidbit because he always presents himself as a neutral observer, who happens to have brought a counterintuitive fact to light. It's tiresome.