GRID wrote:
I can't think of a new urbanism project in any city that has been built in the suburbs that is any different. It's an island for sure. But there is only so much you can do. 99% of the population would still prefer a typical suburban home other than the retro traditional stuff they are trying to do and most retail has gone the way of big and mid boxes. Add in our massive highway network and lack of any transit and this is what we get.
Still, Zona Rosa is one of the largest projects like this I have seen anywhere in the country. Everybody talks up the Legends while Zona Rosa quietly builds something with some major staying power.
I'm not denying that Zona Rosa is years ahead of the Legends, especially in terms of expansion. Still they are different projects and the Legends is more of a destination type place with specialty stores, while Zona Rosa is more serving the residents of the area where it is located (and a few like me from surrounding areas
).
The sheer size of Zona Rosa makes it about double the Legends. If you add in the new Target, Home Depot, and Best Buy across 152, not to mention the Wal-mart etc. nearby, oh and the huge amounts of new housing going up within a mile or so, it is a much bigger project. I also like the way it was designed better, with a main street that you can drive and park along.