The buzz in the developers’ world for the last couple of years has been the “mixed-use development.” Now, reports the Los Angeles Times, a Century City mall is adding living space.

The plan is to demolish a 40-year-old office building and turn it into a condo tower. And the rationale is much the same as those mixed-use developments that start out as such - less commuting, less traffic etc.

The plan gets high marks from urban planners. One tells the paper the trick is not to live and work in the same place but to be able to leave the car in the garage after work when you shop and play. And another developer laments the fact he didn’t put homes into a 2002 development but he’s learned his lesson. Residences will be included in future malls.

Hmmm. By that standard, the valley is doing all right. With malls and locals casinos distributed pretty evenly across the region, we can’t guarantee to keep our cars in the garage but they don’t have that far to go to shop, eat, bowl or watch a movie in most neighborhoods.