AYE

I agree with map clutter. It's amazing how often an area place will show in the client, even if you are not driving right next to it.

My key is navigability. Is this a place you would specifically search in the app? One outdoor shopping center comes to mind - Frandor. This place has existed for years and is commonly known by that name. Someone might easily search for Frandor, rather than a specific store, since they may intend on shopping at several places. Frandor also has a web presence and I've actually referenced it as a place to meet (pre-waze, however). Frandor is also set as a favorite in my Waze as we often stop there (they have a Panera).

Frandor

Here is another that does not warrant area presence. This is a small, decaying, strip mall in my town. It used to be Monroe Plaze and is now called Durand Plaza - at the crossroads (fancy). But neither are used - AFAIK (even though this is a sizable strip mall). I don't say "I'm going to Monroe Plaza"... I say "I'm going to Gillroys"

Small strip malls do not warrant name recognition and would actually harm users when these names bleed into the streets for which they may be looking on screen.
JB

That's a good start and would rule out most corner strip malls.


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Multiple editor driving experience shows this clutter does appear in the client and is often visible at higher speeds. Anyone searching for a specific business would likely have searched for that business by name and will get a routing there. They also most likely won't have a clue that the business is located in "Corner Strip Mall" so that name is irrelevant.


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Aye

Some things that come to my mind when distinguishing a mall and a strip mall are:
-number of stores
-security that patrols the mall
-a formal website
-places to walk around
-food court or common area to eat

These are just a few off the top of my head, but also things I think of when I see a mall rather than a strip mall.

Here is an example of where we shouldn't make an area place for the mall. Only a few stores exist within the area and like JB said, this is a mall that people do not know by name, and therefore shouldn't be an area place.

Joe

AYE

I can see why it may seem useful to map all shopping centers but agree with clutter and whether or not the information is needed. What I love about using Waze is how it is different than other navigation apps. Since we cannot control the entire interface for the user, we do what we can to make it nice and simple.

I do agree on the above mentioned by Zohar, regarding the landmark. I dislike seeing the corner "strip mall" that's 50% occupied on my screen as I'm driving by. I'd rather see something more notable such as Great Lakes Crossing, Birch Run, etc. And as Joe mentioned, it would be nice to have a few of those as criteria (Formal website, food court/common area, number of stores/notable stores) so were able to keep track of these things.

Aye