Economy
How Throwback Model Towns Could Help Alzheimer's Patients
One 1950s-themed town will have a city hall, a movie theater, and a park to help bring back memories for dementia patients.
There’s going to be a new town square in Chula Vista, a suburb near San Diego County, California. But while most cities try to update their town squares to be trendy and modern, this one takes inspiration from the 1950s.
On Wednesday night at University of California, San Diego, the centerpiece of the town was unveiled: A one-story, scaled-down replica of what used to be San Diego’s city hall. (The full-size, working building is currently used as the county administration center). Like the real thing, you can walk inside through a set of doors under an intricate blue-and-white tile mural, along with two plaques bearing the city’s logo. Above those is a large sign that reads “City Hall” in elegant, printed letters.