Quote:
Originally Posted by Crawford
We've had this discussion in other threads, and I don't think this is even possible. Can you name one of these "countless suburbs which have created true urbanity"?
If someone can name a version of "Southfield" that became a pedestrian/transit oriented community, I'm all ears. In the U.S., at least, such a place doesn't exist. No one has even come close, which is logical, because these places were built for the automobile.
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DC and LA have a variety of examples, probably the most of any US region.
Locally, Downtown Bellevue is about 60% true urbanity, with sizeable pockets where it's 100%. Starting with the boom of the late 80s, nearly everything new has been urban, albeit with more parking than is common in many true city centers. The parking has generally been underground. I mean buildings go straight up from the sidewalks, large blocks have been broken into smaller ones, and there's a mix of office, housing, hotel, government, public, etc.
Plus smaller ones. In my region, Downtown Kirkland, Mercer Island, and Redmond are examples of the six-story version. Again most new buildings are up to the sidewalks and along certain streets they're lined with retail.