(photo:http://americancity.org/daily/entry/1856/)

South Main Street in Ann Arbor makes the APA list of Great Places in America. The American Planning Association, as part of the Great Places in America program, they have released their choices for the best American streets, neighborhoods and public spaces of 2009. The places are not necessarily new but they can serve as an example to others as to how other cities and towns should look and feel.

For APA, a great place must be able to provide for the pedestrian and bring a community together. It is also about creating a local sense of identity. The South Main Street in Ann Arbor, Mich. makes the list of Great Streets because of the presence of a wide range of locally-owned restaurants housed in interesting buildings. The environment encourages walking rather than driving. The environment is a space for socialization and not in a forced way.

Perhaps the environment here is not hard to replicate and that is what the APA is getting at. You can have your very own place like this in you neighborhood if your community really wants to.

Find an Ann Arbor Community in the Directory of Ann Arbor, MI.