VMU Saves Lives?

The community-building benefits of good urban planning and design were beautifully exemplified by this week's foiled "kidnapping" case — actually, the brief abduction of a 10-year-old boy by a mentally unstable homeless woman. The incident occurred at Villas on Sixth, a mixed-use project with deeply affordable apartments developed by the city of Austin, which opened in East Austin last May. The model public–private venture includes low-income housing, ground-floor retail, and a YMCA branch (which offers resources for kids such as afterschool care, a computer-learning center, a pool, and swim and dance lessons). As such, the project exemplifies the kind of vertical mixed use project promoted by the city's design standards. Through its mix of elements and affordability levels, Villas on Sixth was intended to foster a strong sense of community and neighborliness among residents and to create a safety net for children. Those benefits were vividly proven during the abduction incident, which occurred in the ground-floor Bossa Nova Coffee Shop and Bakery. Because co-owner Ray Shapley knew and had become friendly with the boy, Fazio, and knew his mother, he immediately became alarmed and called the police when he saw a strange woman grab the boy and leave. Our commendations to Shapley and to everyone behind the creation of Villas on Sixth. It really does take a village.