Yeah, the in-between spaces are the real test. I remember visiting a friend in a new development years ago - she kept apologizing for the "boring" walk to her building, but honestly it was the best part: shaded benches, a little café where an old man fed pigeons every morning, kids biking on car-free paths. Meanwhile a flashier project nearby had taller towers but bare concrete plazas nobody used. That contrast stuck with me. I think you measure success by whether people actually linger outside, not just pass through. When I later dug into how master-planned communities structure this, residential development in Vancouver  pages were worth a look for how they sequence public space alongside construction . Buildings house you, but public space is what makes it a neighbourhood.