people often cite Portland as an example of a great urban city. They apparently looked just like Norfolk in the 1970s.
although they had more city blocks (but only because Norfolk had already demolished them for public housing fields), notice the number of vacant lots (whole city blocks) and the large imposing highway that covers the waterfront of Downtown. When you look at Norfolk, remember that large roads like Tidewater Dr, Waterside Dr, etc. were built over an existing grid. Norfolk's grid extended through all of the public housing and surrounding areas. Before 'urban renewal' Norfolk's street pattern had been nearly unchanged since it was layed out originally.