Exploring the features of sustainable urban form and the factors that provoke shoppers towards shopping malls

This study examined various features of urban form, which promote sustainable development and provoke shoppers toward shopping malls. Afield survey was conducted in shopping malls at Hangzhou, which is the capital city of the Zhejiang province, China. Structural equation modeling and a confirmatory factor analysis were used to measure the hypotheses. The results of this study showed that the built environment and entertainment completely mediated the relationship between ambiance and consumption, and they have a positive impact on the environment and shoppers. The built environment and entertainment are viewed as essential elements of physical and social sustainability. Real estate developers, urban planners, and shopping mall managers should consider the design features of urban form to meet sustainable development goals and to attract more shoppers. Testing these relationships via a mediating method is a novel contribution to the study of shopping malls.