Raleigh Tries Villages To Curb Sprawl

"Instead of the usual collection of Wal-Marts and other big-box retailers, they want to copy the downtowns of yesteryear, mixing homes, stores and offices. Instead of vast parking lots that all empty onto a handful of snarled roads, they want a grid of streets and sidewalks that are easy to cross on foot and convenient for mass transit. But these visions of orderly development around the malls have begun to clash with the desires of developers and the reality of politics. Malls make traffic, and traffic attracts more stores, hotels and restaurants that need to be visible from major roads and surrounded by plenty of convenient parking."