Urban downtown business districts declined markedly after World War II, when housing developments lured residents out of towns and cities. In the 1960s and '70s, the pedestrian mall was born. These auto-free zones for shopping, dining, and entertainment helped revitalize downtown areas across the nation. Pedestrian plazas are similar attempts to make city living more appealing, safer, and more scenic.
Cities and towns struggle to compete with the huge box stores and the shopping centers of the suburbs. Residents from housing developments see no need to go downtown for their essentials. Even worse, downtown residents flee the traffic and congestion for 'one-stop' shopping outside the city limits. The old business districts become depressing areas of closed storefronts, convenience stores, and cheap apartments. Transient residents replace settled families and name-brand stores choose to locate at the suburban malls.
A pedestrian mall, often found in historic districts, takes over three or four city blocks. The streets are closed to automobile traffic and might be surfaced with brick and shaded by trees. Flowerbeds or planters are bright spots of color, signs are artistic rather than neon, and comfortable benches make it easy to linger. Shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues line the walks. Residents and tourists are drawn to quiet outside dining, specialty shops, and nightlife.
A plaza is often simpler, without the shops or restaurants. There will be trees, comfortable seating, and perhaps a food kiosk or two. They are often constructed at intersections where several main roads come together. They also can be found at the end of bridges and underneath raised commuter lines. These quiet havens give people a pleasant place to rest away from traffic rushing past and cars parked nose to tail on every side.
Others may replace a stretch of sidewalk rather than a section of street. New York City has led the way in plaza construction. The city authorities aim to have these small parks in all kinds of neighborhoods, refusing to let them become one more asset of the affluent. The mini-parks are often joint efforts by government, grants, and local businesses.
The cost of continuing maintenance, which far outweighs that of original construction, is often undertaken by surrounding businesses. Stores and restaurants benefit from the increased foot traffic these mini-parks attract. In return, the owners pay for keeping them clean, the flower beds well-tended, and the area well lighted. Local residents can help, too, and community grants can underwrite some of the costs.
Cities which are making an effort to improve the quality of life for their inner-city residents include Los Angeles and Detroit, both areas with large populations and problems with failing communities. For little expense (relatively speaking), cities can improve the appearance and the cohesion of depressed neighborhoods, which formerly may have been little more than traffic conduits.
For more information and to see photo galleries of some of the most outstanding plazas, go online. You might even recognize some former eyesores which are now pleasant places for residents and visitors alike. Streets that were once arteries for traffic which sailed through without stopping are now attractive spots where business can flourish and residents can take pride in their communities.
Cities and towns struggle to compete with the huge box stores and the shopping centers of the suburbs. Residents from housing developments see no need to go downtown for their essentials. Even worse, downtown residents flee the traffic and congestion for 'one-stop' shopping outside the city limits. The old business districts become depressing areas of closed storefronts, convenience stores, and cheap apartments. Transient residents replace settled families and name-brand stores choose to locate at the suburban malls.
A pedestrian mall, often found in historic districts, takes over three or four city blocks. The streets are closed to automobile traffic and might be surfaced with brick and shaded by trees. Flowerbeds or planters are bright spots of color, signs are artistic rather than neon, and comfortable benches make it easy to linger. Shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues line the walks. Residents and tourists are drawn to quiet outside dining, specialty shops, and nightlife.
A plaza is often simpler, without the shops or restaurants. There will be trees, comfortable seating, and perhaps a food kiosk or two. They are often constructed at intersections where several main roads come together. They also can be found at the end of bridges and underneath raised commuter lines. These quiet havens give people a pleasant place to rest away from traffic rushing past and cars parked nose to tail on every side.
Others may replace a stretch of sidewalk rather than a section of street. New York City has led the way in plaza construction. The city authorities aim to have these small parks in all kinds of neighborhoods, refusing to let them become one more asset of the affluent. The mini-parks are often joint efforts by government, grants, and local businesses.
The cost of continuing maintenance, which far outweighs that of original construction, is often undertaken by surrounding businesses. Stores and restaurants benefit from the increased foot traffic these mini-parks attract. In return, the owners pay for keeping them clean, the flower beds well-tended, and the area well lighted. Local residents can help, too, and community grants can underwrite some of the costs.
Cities which are making an effort to improve the quality of life for their inner-city residents include Los Angeles and Detroit, both areas with large populations and problems with failing communities. For little expense (relatively speaking), cities can improve the appearance and the cohesion of depressed neighborhoods, which formerly may have been little more than traffic conduits.
For more information and to see photo galleries of some of the most outstanding plazas, go online. You might even recognize some former eyesores which are now pleasant places for residents and visitors alike. Streets that were once arteries for traffic which sailed through without stopping are now attractive spots where business can flourish and residents can take pride in their communities.
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