Indeed, that plan was like a first-time player striking the jackpot. There's an old-fashioned, central plaza with a fountain, where lunches can be eaten, strollers can stroll and life can be lived. It even opens to the adjacent Iron Horse Trail. Potter had the chutzpah to actually look across the street and let common sense enter his planning arena. And that's why his vision works.
Houses look across the street at other houses, rather than a parking garage.
The parking is still there, but now it's tucked in the back. Commuter traffic is separate from neighborhood streets. There's a turn around for buses and taxis. There are office spaces and retail and housing. Ironically, they're not amenities he'd use, but they're there because people said they wanted them.