New Towns: 18 Miles from the Capital

The idea is simple enough. Cluster houses closely together instead of planting each house on an inadequate lot of its own. Consolidate the extra space to make playgrounds, parks, golf courses and lakes for community use. Provide an industrial park where small industries can locate, making the town something more than a commuter's bedroom outside a big city.

But for the developer, the hazards are immense. He cannot start small and then expand. In order to create a New Town, he must acquire immense acreage, invest large sums in landscaping and nonproductive (at...