Malls play a crucial role in the economic development of society and have evolved in design in the 21st century to become multifunctional spaces known as “lifestyle centers." These facilities serve as multifunctional spaces that not only provide shopping opportunities but also cater to various recreational, social, cultural, and other pursuits. It is essential to understand the needs of users and design the components of the mall in a way that accommodates all age groups to maximize economic returns. Given the significance of open assembly spaces as recreational areas within malls, this research aimed to develop a model for evaluating their performance based on human needs. The study focused on understanding user needs, examining design principles for open assembly spaces, and determining their relative importance. This would be applied to the design of assembly spaces in global and regional trading centers to serve as a benchmark for comparison with Egypt's modern trading centers. The goal is to determine how well the mall meets user needs, identify shortcomings in the application of design principles, and inform the design of future malls to increase their economic efficiency.

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