Mall vs. Plaza — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on September 28, 2023
A mall is an enclosed shopping center with various stores, eateries, and often entertainment venues. A plaza is an open public space or square, often surrounded by shops, restaurants, and other businesses.
Difference Between Mall and Plaza
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
"Mall" and "Plaza" refer to different types of structures or areas predominantly used for commercial and public activities. A mall is typically an enclosed, large retail complex, housing a variety of stores, eateries, and often, entertainment venues, offering consumers a one-stop destination for shopping, dining, and entertainment needs. In contrast, a plaza is primarily an open, public space or square, often in urban settings, surrounded by buildings, shops, and restaurants, serving as a gathering spot and sometimes, hosting public events or displays.
While malls provide a controlled, indoor environment, accommodating multiple retailers and services under one roof, plazas are usually outdoor spaces, offering an open atmosphere and serving as integral parts of urban landscapes. The architectural design of malls focuses on facilitating consumer movement and accessibility to various outlets, ensuring comfort and convenience. Plazas, on the other hand, may emphasize aesthetic elements and spatial arrangements, contributing to the urban aesthetic and functioning as communal areas for social interaction and recreation.
The conception of a mall is predominantly commercial, aiming to offer a diverse range of retail outlets and services, often in suburban areas, attracting visitors with the promise of variety, convenience, and entertainment. Plazas, meanwhile, have a broader scope, not limited to commercial activities, functioning as civic spaces, hosting public gatherings, events, and sometimes, monuments or artworks, enriching the cultural and social fabric of urban centers.
Malls and plazas, despite their differences, play crucial roles in urban development and community life. Malls serve as commercial hubs, influencing consumer behavior and lifestyle, providing a multitude of options and experiences in a singular location. Plazas enhance the urban experience, offering communal spaces that facilitate social interactions, cultural expressions, and recreational activities, fostering community bonds and urban vitality.
In essence, while malls are enclosed commercial complexes offering a plethora of shopping and entertainment options, plazas are open, public spaces, enriching urban life by providing areas for social interaction, cultural expression, and commercial activities, each contributing uniquely to the urban landscape and community life.
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Comparison Chart
Primary Use
Commercial – Shopping, Dining, Entertainment.
Commercial, Recreational, Public Gatherings.
Structure
Enclosed building.
Open public space or square.
Location
Often in suburban areas.
Typically in urban settings.
Architectural Focus
Consumer movement and accessibility.
Aesthetic elements and spatial arrangements.
Range of Services
Diverse retail outlets, eateries, and entertainment venues.
Shops, restaurants, and sometimes, public events or displays.
Compare with Definitions
Mall
An enclosed retail complex housing various stores, restaurants, and often entertainment venues.
The mall was bustling with shoppers looking for the latest deals.
Plaza
A communal area serving as a gathering spot and hosting public events or displays.
The city’s main plaza is a popular venue for public gatherings and cultural events.
Mall
A commercial center offering a variety of retail outlets and services under one roof.
The mall provides a one-stop destination for all our shopping and dining needs.
Plaza
A civic space, contributing to the urban aesthetic and communal interaction.
The plaza, with its aesthetic design, has become a symbol of the city’s cultural heritage.
Mall
A structured building designed for consumer movement, accessibility, and convenience.
The mall’s design facilitates easy movement between the diverse range of stores.
Plaza
An open public space or square often surrounded by buildings, shops, and restaurants.
The plaza was lively with people enjoying the open space and the surrounding eateries.
Mall
A commercial hub typically located in suburban areas attracting a multitude of visitors.
The newly opened mall has become a major attraction for suburban dwellers.
Plaza
A typically urban, open area emphasizing aesthetic elements and spatial arrangements.
The spacious plaza, with its beautiful arrangements, adds to the city's charm.
Mall
A place influencing consumer behavior and lifestyle through its multitude of options and experiences.
The mall offers a unique shopping experience, influencing the lifestyle of the locals.
Plaza
A place enhancing urban life by providing areas for social, cultural, and commercial activities.
The plaza serves as a vibrant hub, fostering social interactions and urban vitality.
Mall
A large, often enclosed shopping complex containing various stores, businesses, and restaurants usually accessible by common passageways.
Plaza
A public square or similar open area in a town or city.
Mall
A street lined with shops and closed to vehicles.
Plaza
A widened roadway forming the approach to tollbooths on a highway.
Mall
A shady public walk or promenade.
Plaza
A parking or service area next to a highway.
Mall
Chiefly Upstate New York See median.
Plaza
A shopping center.
Mall
A pedestrianised street, especially a shopping precinct.
Plaza
A town's public square.
Mall
An enclosed shopping centre.
Plaza
An open area used for gathering in a city, often having small trees and sitting benches.
Mall
(obsolete) An alley where the game of pall mall was played.
Plaza
(North America) A strip mall.
Mall
A public walk; a level shaded walk, a promenade.
Plaza
A shopping mall.
Mall
A heavy wooden mallet or hammer used in the game of pall mall.
Plaza
A public square in a city or town.
Mall
(obsolete) The game of polo.
Plaza
A public square with room for pedestrians;
They met at Elm Plaza
Grosvenor Place
Mall
(obsolete) An old game played with malls or mallets and balls; pall mall.
Plaza
Mercantile establishment consisting of a carefully landscaped complex of shops representing leading merchandisers; usually includes restaurants and a convenient parking area; a modern version of the traditional marketplace;
A good plaza should have a movie house
They spent their weekends at the local malls
Mall
To beat with a mall, or mallet; to beat with something heavy; to bruise
Mall
To build up with the development of shopping malls
Mall
(informal) to shop at the mall
Mall
A large heavy wooden beetle; a mallet for driving anything with force; a maul.
Mall
A heavy blow.
Mall
An old game played with malls or mallets and balls. See Pall-mall.
Mall
A place where the game of mall was played. Hence: A public walk; a level shaded walk.
Part of the area was laid out in gravel walks, and planted with elms; and these convenient and frequented walks obtained the name of the City Mall.
Mall
Formerly, among Teutonic nations, a meeting of the notables of a state for the transaction of public business, such meeting being a modification of the ancient popular assembly.
Councils, which had been as frequent as diets or malls, ceased.
Mall
A public access area containing a promenade for pedestrians; as, to gather near the Washington monument on the mall in Washington.
Mall
The paved or grassy strip between two roadways.
Mall
A shopping area with multiple shops and a concourse for predominantly or exclusively pedestrian use; in cities the concourse is usually a city street which may be temporarily or permamently closed to motor vehicles; in suburban areas, a mall is often located on a convenient highway, may be large, contained in one building or in multiple buildings connected by (usually covered) walkways. Also called shopping mall
Mall
To beat with a mall; to beat with something heavy; to bruise; to maul.
Mall
A public area set aside as a pedestrian walk
Mall
Mercantile establishment consisting of a carefully landscaped complex of shops representing leading merchandisers; usually includes restaurants and a convenient parking area; a modern version of the traditional marketplace;
A good plaza should have a movie house
They spent their weekends at the local malls
Common Curiosities
Can a plaza host public events and displays?
Yes, plazas often host public events, gatherings, and sometimes displays, serving as communal areas for social interaction.
What is the primary use of a plaza?
A plaza is primarily used as an open, public space for commercial activities, recreational purposes, and public gatherings.
Is a mall primarily found in suburban areas?
Yes, malls are often located in suburban areas, serving as commercial hubs for the surrounding communities.
Does a mall offer a variety of services under one roof?
Yes, a mall typically houses a diverse range of retail outlets, eateries, and often entertainment venues under one roof.
Can a plaza have aesthetic and spatial arrangements?
Yes, plazas often emphasize aesthetic elements and spatial arrangements, contributing to urban aesthetics.
Is a mall typically an enclosed structure?
Yes, a mall is typically an enclosed structure housing various stores and services.
Are malls designed for shopping, dining, and entertainment needs?
Yes, malls are designed to offer a one-stop destination for shopping, dining, and often, entertainment needs.
Is a plaza typically an open space in urban settings?
Yes, a plaza is usually an open public space or square, typically located in urban settings.
Does the architectural design of malls focus on consumer movement and accessibility?
Yes, the architectural design of malls primarily focuses on facilitating consumer movement and accessibility to various outlets.
Do malls serve as commercial hubs influencing consumer behavior and lifestyle?
Yes, malls serve as commercial centers offering a multitude of options and experiences, influencing consumer behavior and lifestyle.
Do plazas contribute to urban life by providing areas for social interaction and cultural expression?
Yes, plazas enrich urban life by providing communal spaces for social interactions, cultural expressions, and recreational activities.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
