The shopping centre where the currency is hope


York Place is one of a growing number of shopping centers that are closing down as trends like online retail and changing consumer habits mean fewer people going to shopping malls. But York Place is doing things differently: the shopping center’s main tenant is the YMCA, which sells crafts by local artists. The local cafe is a social enterprise, and residents can earn “CounterCoins,” essentially rewards points, for volunteering. A UK-based professor said, “It’s no ordinary shopping center. It’s a laboratory.”

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