Luckily, the town got one in the form of smart-growth software that maps development plans and allows residents to “stroll” through the 3-D results–a sort of SimCity for real life. The program, called CommunityViz (and not made by the SimCity folks), is a big jump for small-town citizens who previously had to make do with flat maps. In Missoula, Mont., it’s helping prevent wildfire hazards. In Steamboat Springs, Colo., it’s assisting low-income-housing designers. And in Eureka, a planning board hopes to let townspeople “explore” four computer-generated scenarios in October. In 150 years, those expeditions may be local legend, too.
