Alamo Heights, a suburb of San Antonio, grapples with whether to adopt a "New Urbanist" (but slightly more traditional) approach to its major thoroughfare to improve pedestrian and bicycle access.
"For the past nine months, the city has been asking residents and business owners to imagine everything they ever wanted the city to be. The result was a comprehensive plan envisioning an environmentally aware, pedestrian-friendly village where people can shop, work and go to school by walking, bicycling or a taking a short trolley ride.
Now as residents turn up their air conditioners and start circling parking lots to minimize walking, the city is going to find out how many of those ideals can be achieved. On Tuesday night, the City Council voted to adopt the plan as a 15-year guiding document.
'We think it's asinine,' said Jimmy Satel, a part owner of the men's clothing store Satel's. 'They want to make this where families can walk and bicycle down here. That's wonderful, but it's not great for retail.'"
Read the full story: Alamo Heights sees its future in the past
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