America's 10 Most Enlightened Towns

Article Tools

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

Good urban design is another criteria that we weighed heavily--parks and green spaces, bikeways, solid public transportation, architectural integrity, strong downtowns, and, particularly, pedestrian amenities. The chance to walk around town, rather than being forced into your car by thoughtless urban planning, is one of the most basic measures of a community's enlightenment. This is not only because walking is one of life's most underrated pleasures, but because having large numbers of pedestrians fosters other benefits such as cleaner air, more human-scale architecture, low crime, and increased neighborliness. Architects Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, two of the most influential urban planners in America today, argue that a great city is merely a confederation of great neighborhoods. And they point out that great neighborhoods are easily identifiable by the presence of a lively business district within easy walking distance of everyone who lives there. Also known as urban villages, these neighborhood centers include public spaces like coffeeshops and parks where people can meet one another and talk over what's happening around town. And that's the kind of community engagement and connectedness that distinguish the following towns as good places to live--and great places to learn from.

Special reporting for this section was provided by Ryan Johnson, Daniel Kraker, Lisa Niforopulos, and Elaine Robbins.

Part of cover story section, June/July 1997.

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print