The planners at Kentlands argued with the developer in favor of putting big box stores in the mall at the edge of town. The client had wanted a more high-end shopping mall; the planners argued that the big boxes would make it possible for residents to stay in the town for most of their shopping, instead of having to go out onto the strip or into Gaithersburg. "Neo-traditional" planning means mixing old and new as appropriate.
(c) David Kolb, 1 August 2001