We talk about suburban development being "industrial-scale" or "extractive" but never has that been more literal to me than when I took these March 2020 photos of the under-construction Waterside faux downtown in Lakewood Ranch, FL. (1/4)
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More surreal extractive-industry vibes. Felt like visiting a giant open-pit mine. A bit surprised to be able to drive right up to this on a public road, park, and wander around with my camera. (2/4)
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At the time I had recently written about Waterside and how, despite its marketing, it'll be about as functionally urban as an old John Wayne film set is authentically Western. (The reason it fails as urbanism starts with "p" and ends with "arking.") (3/4)
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Haven't been back lately to see the latest status. Maybe I'll drive out there soon. This was just before COVID hit, so I never wrote about this impromptu visit, and I'd forgotten all about these photos until today. Thought I'd share. (4/4)