Commentary: Can city life be exported to the suburbs?, Washington Post, September 7, 2012

This lengthy opinion piece by Jonathan O'Connell explores the emergence of "town centers" as the answer to bringing downtowns to the suburbs. 

In the course of discussing the emergence of town center, it notes,  "The titan of town center developments locally, and in many ways nationwide, is Reston Town Center, a walkable neighborhood that is one of the densest parts of Fairfax County and has become a smashing commercial success."

It discusses similar--although much smaller--efforts in Leesburg, Georgetown, and beyond.  Noting the criticism of many that town centers are essentially sterile corporate wastelands, it ends with this quote from a developer:

“When you put the camera on and you put the actors on the stage, it looks like a real place.”

Its a thoughtful and thorough article.  Read it all here.