Uneasy Rhetoric

Another article in the Bee talks about building new “main street” type developments in suburbia. They point to the “El Dorado Hills Town Center” as a “captivating” example of this new style of development.

The goal: Create instant downtowns, city centers in places traditionally known for seas of single-family homes, strip malls and highway commutes to somewhere else.

That’s great! Now, take a look at this map:

I still see a sea of asphalt, anchored by yet another multi-plex, and a dangerous place to walk. Better than strip malls, absolutely. But does it really have that downtown feel? Or is it just a new-urbanist attempt to hid an old-urbanist automobile-based agenda?