re: A very old idea, and a good one. And in some ways spooky
from the link (emphasis mine):
Vauban will be connected to the town center by a tramway.
Around 40% of the households have agreed to live without their own cars, while others have to leave their vehicles in at the edge of the development. Consequently most streets are pedestrian friendly and suitable for kids to play, and have a 5km/hour speed limit.
As a lover of all things high tech, I am all for reduced energy requirement and high efficiency construction but the total concept is limiting the population to mass transit and 5kph vehicles.
It is eerily similar to the green party platform that envisions diaspora to agragrian style low population communities.
I suspect that there would be an elite class that would live in a completely different style and avail themselves of a wider range of high tech luxurys while the common herd basks in well fed bliss.
I suppose this is reading a lot into a little but slippery slopes and all that you know.