What do we make of a person who acts dubiously for much of his life and then, after a transformative event (or retirement), does unambiguous good? Andrew Carnegie? St. Paul? The green developer Jonathan Rose examines this question in regard to his boyhood hero and fellow developer James Rouse, challenging both my conclusion and my premise. Amiably. A conversation about shopping centers, planned cities, and Johann Sebastian Bach, with music from Joao Kouyoumdjian.

•  PERSON: James Rouse
•  PLACE: Columbia, Maryland
•  THING: Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier
•  RANDY’S THING: the private car