Great American Places Announced
What does Mill Avenue in Tempe, AZ have in common with Clarendon and Wilson Boulevards in Arlington, VA? You guessed it. They are both finalists in the American Planning Association’s (APA) Great Places in America: Streets. These streets are designated as such because they are places of “exemplary character, quality and planning.” The organization also cites them as places where people want to be and to live and work. There are slide shows of the various winners at the Web site.
Besides the great streets there are categories for neighborhoods and public spaces. Downtown Salem, MA and Greater Park Hill in Denver, CO were in the top 10 neighborhoods, and Portland, OR’s Pioneer Courthouse Square along with Charleston, SC’s Waterfront Park ranked in the public spaces category. APA says the public spaces honorees are places that help promote social interaction and a sense of community. Great streets have both form and composition, character and a sustainable environment. The other category, Great Neighborhoods, capitalize on architecture, design, scale and other attributes to create visual experiences and other qualities.
There is a lot more at the links above along with the complete list and plenty of pictures. There are also guidelines for those who would like to submit an entry for next year’s event.
