You should think of Barcelona, Paris, and Amsterdam. Beautiful places with most buildings at about 8 stories high with large bike ridership and good public transit:
Well Barcelona has been developing under the Cerdà plan since mid 1850. That's I think the issue: won't the average American clamor against "cUmmUnism" one minute after he's told his grotesquely styled McMansion is not allowed?
Huh, that reminds me a lot of Avenida da Liberdade in Lisbon (roughly the same building height and streetcape, although the Barcelona buildings are prettier).