[jgwil2]

It would be nice if they could do some of this development in a sustainable way, like encouraging walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods with reasonable density, but unfortunately based on the language in your comment (highways, big box stores) it sounds like yet another car-dependent, sprawling suburb.

[thatfrenchguy]

America does not know how to build those kind of neighborhoods, and most non-immigrant Americans have been living in car dependent suburbs for 3 generations now, good luck making them understand the (amazing) benefits and (slightly annoying, although lower if you live in newer housing) costs of living in a city. A lot of them can't even imagine it.

[chromatin]

Well, many of the existing small towns around (and being engulfed by) Columbus Ohio predate Columbus; some date to early 1800s like Worthington (1803), and are quite walkable.

It's the new development described in the OP that's building car-dependent sprawling exurbs.

[notatoad]

datacentres are not a good fit for walkable, mixed-use development. they don't really serve people, they don't add value to a neighbourhood for the residents. the best way to make walkable mixed-use neighbourhoods with reasonable density is to shove the uses that don't fit within that style out to the edge of the city, which seems to be exactly what they're doing here.