For many years, the lush banks of the majestic Tennessee River were all but inaccessible to most Chattanooga residents. In 1986, however, a seven-mile landscaped path called Riverwalk was built, and it quickly became a catalyst for the development of some of Chattanooga’s most popular recreational facilities, as well as a great social equalizer.
Pioneer Courthouse Square is a rare example of a successful modern downtown plaza. One reason it works so well is that Portland residents, having fought and paid for it, own it.
Downtown Montgomery will soon have a new plaza much like those in Europe. The Alabama city was about to rebuild an intersection around the 1885-vintage Court Street fountain when Ken Groves, head of the city planning department, asked Rick Hall and DeWayne Carver of Hall Planning and Engineering in Tallahassee to review the construction drawings.
While planners often associate New Urbanism with greens and squares and plazas that are bounded by streets, a whole family of civic spaces are contained within the block itself.
The Santa Fe Plaza, often referred to as “the heart of Santa Fe,” acts as the central gathering place for the city. The Plaza consists of a central park lined with grass, trees, and benches, an American Indian War Memorial monument, and a performing arts stage.
