Mixing It Up

Mixed-use developments that combine two or more land uses are attracting growing numbers of resident -- who then become ready customers for nearby restaurants and shops.

In the greater metropolitan Detroit area, two mixed-use projects are under construction and four more are proposed. When completed, the Partridge Creek development will have 1,000 homes, miles of recreational paths, and a 640,000-square-foot open-air mall that residents can walk to. The retail amenities also seem to be a boost for residential sales in a softening housing market.