"There are good things in GGP's proposals, without a doubt. But this needs to be done thoroughly, in a way that is enforceable and that brings the plan as presented to fruition," said Del. Elizabeth Bobo, whose district includes Columbia and who has been among those raising questions.
"What we don't want to see happen is all these residential units get built and nothing else," Bobo said.
Others have come out to strongly advocate for the developer's plan. Lincoln said her group formed to counter "the sizable opposition to the development of downtown."
Lincoln asked Lewis to speak after noticing a mention of Columbia's proposed makeover in his recent column on economic downturn as a possible catalyst for smarter growth, she said.
She said she thinks Lewis will bring a new perspective as someone who has kept tabs on Columbia and several other suburban districts, including Rockville Pike in Montgomery County and Tysons Corner, Va.
"There are probably six different ways that Columbia could be developed, and some adjustments will have to be made along the way," she said. "But it's really important to finish this and to have a plan in place."
David Yungmann, a co-founder of Columbia 2.0 - which formed in July to involve a second generation as caretakers of the Columbia concept - called hosting Lewis "a neat idea."
A longtime county resident whose father worked for the Rouse Co. for 30 years, Yungmann said the driving force behind his group is that all county residents should feel stewardship over Columbia's future.
"Columbia is either our engine or our anchor," Yungmann said. "I think it's an urgent situation that we shore up our economic, social and cultural heart, and that is Town Center."
Lewis agreed that action is appropriate for Columbia and other suburban areas heading into makeovers.
"Throughout the U.S., thousands of communities that have developed since World War II are in need of rethinking," the author and Texas native said.
"Back then, it all made complete sense," he said of Columbia's beginnings in the 1960s and '70s. "Columbia epitomizes the 'it seemed like a good idea at the time' principle of design."
Take the mall, for example.
"Having as the town's centerpiece a privately owned and internally focused regional shopping mall was conceived as the right thing to do, but now we see there is no 'Main Street' in Columbia," he said.
