Placemaking and the economy
The Economics of Place, a book published by the Michigan Municipal League, makes the case that placemaking is key to the economic revival of the state — and, indeed, the nation. Better! Cities & Towns reviews this book in detail in the July-August 2012 issue. Authors make the distinction between place — any old intersection or parking lot — and Place with a capital "P," a locale where people will come because they enjoy being there. Such settings can enliven every part of the urban-rural Transect. Examples include a downtown with museums and opera house; a main street with historic buildings and restaurants; and a coastline with lighthouses. Michigan boasts more lighthouses, 120, than any other state. Arts and culture are critical to placemaking, which, in turn, feeds cultural tourism and business activity. Because the demand for walkable urban places is expected to grow in the coming decades — while sprawl is oversupplied — creating walkable urbanism will be a major economic activity in the generation to come.
For more in-depth coverage on this topic:
• Subscribe to Better! Cities & Towns to read all of the articles (print+online) on implementation of greener, stronger, cities and towns.
• See the July-August 2012 issue of Better! Cities & Towns.Topics: Urban retail, Street fear in new urban neighborhood, Subdivisions without a pulse, Walk Appeal, Pruitt-Igoe, The neighborhood hardware store, Columbia Pike in Arlington, Urban and environmental e-books, The Economics of Place, Design After Decline, Urban thoroughfares.
• Get New Urbanism: Best Practices Guide, packed with more than 800 informative photos, plans, tables, and other illustrations, this book is the best single guide to implementing better cities and towns.
