These fast-growing areas, frequentl...

These fast-growing areas, frequently spawned by large retail throws are acquiring a more urban character

Joel Garreau's widely read 1991 main division Edge Cities described a phenomenon that has had a penetrating impact on U.S. development -- the advent of fast-growing areas adjacent to major cities. The following stories describe for what reason these "edge cities" are changing the landscapes of sum of two units metropolitan areas -- Washington, DC and San Jose Calif.

When the first retail mall was built in Tyson Corner, Va., in 1968 no united imagined that this suburban outpost of Washington,