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18 Consuming Media

British shopping centres (where 68.4 per cent and 71.7 per cent of the visitors were
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women). These figures confirm the historical pattern of the retail environment as a
public space that continues to attract and appeal to the woman consumer.
There are many strategies for maintaining the safety and security of an indoor
shopping centre. Surveillance cameras are perhaps the first to come to mind, yet these
are not part of Solna Centre’s security system. Although cameras are mounted in
many of the shops, there are none focused on the walks or other general areas of the
shopping centre. Instead, the mall is patrolled by plain-clothes security guards who
are called upon whenever trouble arises. The many reflective surfaces throughout the
shopping centre also serve a surveillance function. Surrounded by mirrors, on the
walls, posts, even ceilings, one has the feeling of being watched. But who and what
are these strategies primarily designed to protect? In this case, protecting property
and preventing theft seems to have a higher priority than preventing crimes against
people.
Many activities that are routine for the street are strictly prohibited in the mall.
These include panhandling and buskering, political demonstrations, roller-skating
and skateboarding. Posters, flyers and other forms of advertising that do not support
the merchants’ interests are not permitted. A ‘speakers’ corner’ that had been
proposed during the early planning for Solna Centre was rejected, and political
parties cannot campaign in the mall. 46 During one period of our research, the
management removed many of the shopping centre’s benches that were located along
the passages and in the open squares, convinced that they encouraged loiterers who
in turn would discourage shoppers. This provoked controversy, particularly among
the many retired people who visit Solna Centre on a daily basis, and eventually many
of the benches were returned. The benches continue to serve as signifiers of a space
that is both public and domestic. They invite visitors to sit and watch the flow of
passers-by, consistent with the slogan ‘Feel at home in Solna Centre’.
Another controversy arose when a request by the local church to rent space in
Solna Centre was turned down by the company that owns the mall. The refusal was
seen as an additional sign that public space was becoming increasingly closed to non-
commercial activities. A public debate was organized, and in the local press coverage
it was noted that whereas the church formerly held a self-evident place in the village
centre, today the central gathering place for town residents is a shopping centre, and
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the church is excluded. The use of the church as a symbol in this controversy over
public space is particularly noteworthy given the secularization of Swedish society
and the fact that the former state church (which had requested use of the space) is
generally considered marginal to social and political life.
The many restrictions on this space remain hidden until a conflict arises. Few
people notice the list of prohibited activities at the mall entrance. The mall success-
fully maintains its appearance as a public space, eliding its dependence on private and
corporate ownership, planning and strict control. The social services available here,
the library and the city hall, carry symbolic value that malls in other cities have made
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major concessions to obtain. The ebb and flow of people through Solna Centre is