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As for the social and financial divide..... what do you mean? Besides a few gated neighborhoods that claim to be exclusive (Dominion, Bently Manor, etc.) I see no problem within the metro. Gentrifiction would be a great way to allow some poorer areas to become mixed income.
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I mean that developments like this are essentially open gated-communities. You can only live there/experience there if you can afford it, as it is going to be a very pricey place. It promotes this luxurious, rich, and extravagant kind of image, and I don't think it will translate to a mixed-income development. In my opinion, stuff like this says "you can have all the benefits of an urban lifestyle (albeit very sterile versions), but you should have it in the 'safe' north side, because downtown is unstable, dangerous."
That's an interesting idea -- if they had left green spaces and open lots for future, different-contractor buildings. That would make it more urban, more open. But, I don't see that as their goal, all the buildings are branded with this image -- it even has its own symbol. It reminds me of what the builders of Pearl were saying, that they didn't want to build out the development all at once or too inorganically, because it would be in danger of being campy and kitsch.