“However, there is no hiding from the value of the idea that we should care about space as a whole rather than a series of individual units to live in. Public squares, local shops and communities that look out for each other are all worthy aims, it just appears that in this case it hasn’t worked (the feeling of emptiness wasn’t just from it’s partial completion but from something much deeper inside me). I can’t pretend to know the answers but then I wouldn’t expect anyone to think that I would.”

Poundbury: Architectural shame with a worthy aim | ArchDaily

Here is a radical idea; the brick work and the false old world looks don’t matter. It’s the shape and the society that lives in the building that matter.

My guess is that the streets are empty because people don’t work there or shop there. Every morning they get in their cars and drive to an office elsewhere and stop off at Tesco on the way home. Hence the “town” is dead.

Strange thing is that it looks like Disneyland did about ten years ago. A half built copy of something that never really existed.