I know this is a thread about re-urbanizing DT, but I just wanted to touch on the suburbs. It's been talked about in this thread about what is lost in the suburbs and that you don't have any community. But it wasn't always that way and it doesn't have to be that way.

Take a virtual stroll through Heritage Hills on Google Streetview. HH was a suburb at one point. Notice all the well kept sidewalks. Notice that the historical houses had front porches and people sat on those porches and used those porches. People walked on the sidewalks. They would walk to the grocery store or wherever they needed because they could and because of necessity. All this contributed to their sense of community. People came in contact with one another and that creates community.

Now drive down a typical suburb street. Even if they have sidewalks, how much are they used? They may be used for walking for pleasure or exercise or by kids. But the neighborhood is disconnected from anywhere that they might need to (or want to) walk. And if there is a grocery store within walking distance, does it feel safe or pleasant to walk there? Or is it a pedestrian hostile environment where the pedestrian has to compete with four lanes of zooming cars?

Also, what does one notice about the houses? Their most prominent feature isn't a friendly looking porch where your neighbors and friends are sitting and relaxing at the end of the day. The most prominent feature is a big garage. Which makes houses appear closed off and unewlcoming. Stroll down this random street. On some of the houses, the garage is all you can see. the entrance is recessed back, away from the street.

Suburban design can be done better. And it should be. There's no reason one can't have a feel and sense of community in the suburbs. The suburbs just have to be designed in a way that encourages community. As it is now, the design discourages community. Good design shouldn't be purely the realm of urban areas.