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THIS YEAR'S selection of 15 Great Places in America includes five dynamic main streets, several multipurpose urban open spaces, a couple of underthe-radar historic gems in medium-sized cities, and one of the oldest and largest urban parks in the country.
Each of these places has succeeded because their community-residents, local officials, businesses, and charitable groups-have poured their heart, soul, money, and time into ensuring that they continue to thrive. Themes that tie them together reflect current best practices in planning today, including pedestrian- and transit-centered streetscapes; flexible, conservation-savvy greenscape and hardscape designs that draw people together; and an emphasis on cultural and culinary traditions as a branding strategy. All of these places also have an eye on the future with new capital projects currently in the planning phase or fully under way.
STREETS
ARTHUR AVENUE: Bronx, New York
Arthur Avenue, in the Bronx, is New York City's other Little Italy. Unlike the well-known touristy neighborhood on the Lower East Side, this little gem remains authentic to its core. The exceptionally rich streetscape is lined with restaurants and purveyors of cheese, bread, pasta, and meat that reflect the local heritage, dating back to a large Italian migration that began at the turn of the 20th century. Nearly every shop is an institution, passed down through generations of families.
The centerpiece is the Arthur Avenue Retail Market, established during Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia's administration in 1940 as a centralized location for some 50,000 local pushcart vendors. James Rausse, aicp, director of capital programs for the office of the Bronx borough president and the president of the New York Metro Chapter of APA, says the city is working with the market to explore ways to expand. Upper-floor occupancy and rooftop spaces are being considered.
The Arthur Avenue area has also become home to New York City's Albanian community and has a measurable population of Mexican and Central American immigrants. The influx of new groups shows how the next generation of newcomers will find their way in the big city. "Iltis is a very old neighborhood with a deep sense of tradition, but it has also been welcoming,' says Rausse. "All residents share a desire to maintain the neighborhood's character."
SOUTH 24TH STREET
BUSINESS DISTRICT: Omaha, Nebraska
Propelled by the...