--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's time to stop building the shopping…" description: "\"It's time to stop building the shopping malls, the prisons, the stadiums and other tributes to all of our collective failures. It is time that we start..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/716/majora-carter-17939_building_it-s-time-to-stop-building-the-shopping_1321008.jpg" --- # It's time to stop building the shopping malls, the… ![“It's time to stop building the shopping malls, the prisons, the stadiums and other tributes to all of our collective failures. It is time that we start building living monuments to hope and possibility.” quote by Majora Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/716/majora-carter-17939_building_it-s-time-to-stop-building-the-shopping_1321008.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/716/majora-carter-17939_building_it-s-time-to-stop-building-the-shopping_1321008.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/716/majora-carter-17939_building_it-s-time-to-stop-building-the-shopping_1321008.jpg) > “It's time to stop building the shopping malls, the prisons, the stadiums and other tributes to all of our collective failures. It is time that we start building living monuments to hope and possibility.” [Majora Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/majora-carter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We should replace structures that symbolize failure with ones that embody hope and possibility. **In simple terms:** Build hopeful monuments instead of symbols of failure. Key Takeaway Create projects that inspire optimism. Themes urban planning social justice hope community development Mood inspirational determined optimistic Type visionary call to action When to use this quote - city revitalization - community centers - public art installations - urban policy reforms Key Concepts sustainable design public spaces collective memory Questions to Reflect On - How can we ensure new projects truly serve marginalized communities? - What metrics define a “living monument”? A Different Perspective Changing physical structures alone may not shift underlying systemic issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Inspiration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspiration/) [Malls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/malls/) [Monument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monument/) [Monuments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monuments/) [Motivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivation/) [Possibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possibility/) [Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prison/) [Shopping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shopping/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Tribute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tribute/) ## Related quotes > [“Stop building tomorrow's roads on today's grounds.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/june-masters-bacher/stop-building-tomorrow-s-roads-on-today-s-grounds/) [June Masters Bacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/june-masters-bacher/) > [If you stop building stars, which we never do, you wouldn't be in business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-mcmahon/if-you-stop-building-stars-which-we-never-do-you-wouldn-t-be-in/) [Vince McMahon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-mcmahon/) > [If the sea level rises 6 inches, that's a big deal... we can't mitigate that; we can't stop it. We've just got to stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/if-the-sea-level-rises-6-inches-that-s-a-big-deal-we-can-t-mitigate/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [If we could just stop building up armies and things like that, we would have all the money we need for wildlife and poverty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/if-we-could-just-stop-building-up-armies-and-things-like-that-we/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [“Maybe He is taking you away from me To remind me to Stop building war zones where castles belong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dua-yacoubi/maybe-he-is-taking-you-away-from-me-to-remind-me-to-stop-building-war/) Dua Yacoubi > [We need to stop building our churches around categories and start building them around people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/we-need-to-stop-building-our-churches-around-categories-and-start/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [“The moment you start building or doing stuff beyond your knowledge, soon you will end up by demanding time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajeet-pratap-maurya/the-moment-you-start-building-or-doing-stuff-beyond-your-knowledge/) Ajeet Pratap Maurya > [You want a better, more fraternal, more just world? Well then, start building it: Who is stopping you? Build it inside yourself and around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lanza-del-vasto/you-want-a-better-more-fraternal-more-just-world-well-then-start/) [Lanza del Vasto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lanza-del-vasto/) > [Entrepreneurs need to start building today. The barrier to entry in tech is low, so start designing, start coding it, launch it, build prototypes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caterina-fake/entrepreneurs-need-to-start-building-today-the-barrier-to-entry-in/) [Caterina Fake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caterina-fake/) > [“Don’t procrastinate, start building yourself now!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/don-t-procrastinate-start-building-yourself-now/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [If you love someone, when it's the most real, the most important thing in your life, it's not enough to coast. You need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/if-you-love-someone-when-it-s-the-most-real-the-most-important-thing/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [Stop sketching. Start building.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-crowley/stop-sketching-start-building/) [Dennis Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-crowley/) > [Kickstarter can get customers invested, both literally and figuratively, in a game before it is released. With nothing but an idea, a bit of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-schreier/kickstarter-can-get-customers-invested-both-literally-and/) [Jason Schreier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-schreier/) > [Forget about where you want to be and go out and build stuff. Dodgeball came from being bored at work... things happen because you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-crowley/forget-about-where-you-want-to-be-and-go-out-and-build-stuff/) [Dennis Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-crowley/) > [Match your goals with the people who can make them happen and start building the relationships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ferrazzi/match-your-goals-with-the-people-who-can-make-them-happen-and-start/) [Keith Ferrazzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ferrazzi/) ## More by Majora Carter > [Working-class and poor urban Americans are not benefiting economically from our current food system. It relies too much on transportation, chemical fertilization, big use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/majora-carter/working-class-and-poor-urban-americans-are-not-benefiting/) [Majora Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/majora-carter/) > ['This will pass and it always does.' I consistently have to keep telling myself that because being an entrepreneur means that you go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/majora-carter/this-will-pass-and-it-always-does-i-consistently-have-to-keep-telling/) [Majora Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/majora-carter/) > [Prior to Katrina, the South Bronx and New Orleans' Ninth Ward had a lot in common. Both were largely populated by poor people of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/majora-carter/prior-to-katrina-the-south-bronx-and-new-orleans-ninth-ward-had-a-lot/) [Majora Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/majora-carter/) > [I want to be known as someone who got caught trying. Yup. Trying to make communities that didn't think much of themselves see themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/majora-carter/i-want-to-be-known-as-someone-who-got-caught-trying-yup-trying-to/) [Majora Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/majora-carter/) > [Most people don't know that the biggest regret that I have - and it's a biggie - is not fighting harder for policy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/majora-carter/most-people-don-t-know-that-the-biggest-regret-that-i-have-and-it-s-a/) [Majora Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/majora-carter/) > [We want to bring enterprise back to blighted urban areas. People there have been told nothing is ever going to change. The policy makers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/majora-carter/we-want-to-bring-enterprise-back-to-blighted-urban-areas-people-there/) [Majora Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/majora-carter/) > [You shouldn't have to leave your neighborhood to live in a better one,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/majora-carter/you-shouldn-t-have-to-leave-your-neighborhood-to-live-in-a-better-one/) [Majora Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/majora-carter/) > [Jane Jacobs work wouldnt have been complete if it hadn't inspired others to carry it on, and evolve Jane's groundbreaking accomplishments so that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/majora-carter/jane-jacobs-work-wouldnt-have-been-complete-if-it-hadn-t-inspired/) [Majora Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/majora-carter/) > [Even when we think or talk about recycling, lots of recyclable stuff ends up getting incinerated or in landfills and leaving many municipalities, diversion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/majora-carter/even-when-we-think-or-talk-about-recycling-lots-of-recyclable-stuff/) [Majora Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/majora-carter/) > [I do have a problem with developments that hyper-exploit politically vulnerable communities for profit. That it continues is a shame upon us all, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/majora-carter/i-do-have-a-problem-with-developments-that-hyper-exploit-politically/) [Majora Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/majora-carter/) > [Build. Transform. Love. These are words I use all the time as we speak about community building and even real estate development because these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/majora-carter/build-transform-love-these-are-words-i-use-all-the-time-as-we-speak/) [Majora Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/majora-carter/) > [ Environmental justice \[means that\] no community should be saddled with more environmental burdens and less environmental benefits than any other. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/majora-carter/environmental-justice-means-that-no-community-should-be-saddled-with/) [Majora Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/majora-carter/) > [Environmental justice, for those of you who may not be familiar with the term, goes something like this: no community should be saddled with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/majora-carter/environmental-justice-for-those-of-you-who-may-not-be-familiar-with/) [Majora Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/majora-carter/) > [You know, people understand fear and opportunity. It may look different, but it's really the same thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/majora-carter/you-know-people-understand-fear-and-opportunity-it-may-look-different/) [Majora Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/majora-carter/) > [My real dream is that everybody will see their self-interest tied up with someone else, whether or not they see them, and see that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/majora-carter/my-real-dream-is-that-everybody-will-see-their-self-interest-tied-up/) [Majora Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/majora-carter/) [Explore all 36 Majora Carter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/majora-carter/) ## More Building quotes > [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [One of the things the United States does well is building coalitions. What the U.S. knows is that if you don't have a coalition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/one-of-the-things-the-united-states-does-well-is-building-coalitions/) [Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/) > [Surely, if Mother Nature had been consulted, she would never have consented to building a city in New Orleans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mortimer-zuckerman/surely-if-mother-nature-had-been-consulted-she-would-never-have/) [Mortimer Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mortimer-zuckerman/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Peace is an ongoing process. It begins with the first step and it does not end. We, all of us alive today, are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krieger/peace-is-an-ongoing-process-it-begins-with-the-first-step-and-it-does/) [David Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krieger/) > [I've done so many other projects where you're in a room with a reader and you're acting your lines out: 'We have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/i-ve-done-so-many-other-projects-where-you-re-in-a-room-with-a-reader/) [Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/) > [Absolutely, you can improve and become better at toughness. It's a talent, but it can be acquired, too. I think of it like building…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-harbaugh/absolutely-you-can-improve-and-become-better-at-toughness-it-s-a/) [Jim Harbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-harbaugh/) > [ T\]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I'd like to play Ian Paisley, actually. I'd need building up, though he's very frail now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-neeson/i-d-like-to-play-ian-paisley-actually-i-d-need-building-up-though-he/) [Liam Neeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-neeson/) > [Death is but an aspect of life, and the destruction of one material form is but a prelude to building up of another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/death-is-but-an-aspect-of-life-and-the-destruction-of-one-material/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Some architects have a preconceived notion of what a building should be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-w-fentress/some-architects-have-a-preconceived-notion-of-what-a-building-should/) [Curtis W. Fentress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-w-fentress/) > [As for the forces, electromagnetism and gravity we experience in everyday life. But the weak and strong forces are beyond our ordinary experience. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-witten/as-for-the-forces-electromagnetism-and-gravity-we-experience-in/) [Edward Witten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-witten/) > [I'm 30. I'm about to hit my prime now. I need to act and keep building.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dillian-whyte/i-m-30-i-m-about-to-hit-my-prime-now-i-need-to-act-and-keep-building/) [Dillian Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dillian-whyte/) > [The essential functions of the mind consist in understanding and in inventing, in other words, in building up structures by structuring reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-piaget/the-essential-functions-of-the-mind-consist-in-understanding-and-in/) [Jean Piaget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-piaget/) > [Practically every time I speak up at a school conference, a political event, or my apartment building association's annual meeting, I'm met with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-druckerman/practically-every-time-i-speak-up-at-a-school-conference-a-political/) [Pamela Druckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-druckerman/) Browse all 5,974 Building quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's time to stop building the shopping malls, the prisons, the stadiums and other tributes to all of our collective failures. It is time that we start building living monuments to hope and possibility.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Majora Carter" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/majora-carter/it-s-time-to-stop-building-the-shopping-malls-the-prisons-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Building" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/majora-carter/it-s-time-to-stop-building-the-shopping-malls-the-prisons-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/716/majora-carter-17939_building_it-s-time-to-stop-building-the-shopping_1321008.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/716/majora-carter-17939_building_it-s-time-to-stop-building-the-shopping_1321008.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/716/majora-carter-17939_building_it-s-time-to-stop-building-the-shopping_1321008.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's time to stop building the shopping malls, the prisons, the stadiums and other tributes to all of our…” — Majora Carter", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Majora Carter", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/majora-carter/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's time to stop building the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/majora-carter/it-s-time-to-stop-building-the-shopping-malls-the-prisons-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/majora-carter/it-s-time-to-stop-building-the-shopping-malls-the-prisons-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```