Suburbanization gave Ikea the opportunity to build massive stores at affordable cost to which customers could flock.

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So while many malls struggle in North America, they are thriving in Asia due in part to suburbanization and automobiles.

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Because the concomitant forces that have made public life so scarce suburbanization, virtualization, and the centralization of the home as the venue for experience have created a new premium for public experience.

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"The general process of suburbanization is, the richer you are, the more likely you move to the suburbs, " says Julie Martin, a senior demographer for the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia.

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