Community's Plaza Is Where Its Heart Beats

16 December 2003 - 10:00am

Plazas required by the Laws of the Indies in the 16th c. still thrive today.

"To speak of the role a plaza plays in Latino cities and towns is to begin a dialogue that spans cultures and generations." From Santa Fe in the north to Buenos Aires in the south, plazas in Spanish-founded towns anchor their culture and commerce. Santa Fe's plaza, the most traditional in the United States, "is a point of reference for the whole community. Everyone feels welcome - from small children to the older people."

Source: Santa Fe New Mexican, December 15, 2003
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The challenges of urban sprawl in outlying areas--like dangerous neighborhoods in the center city, and severe declines in jobs within reach of working people or inner city public schools--are rarely shared and never undertaken on a truly regional basis.