Pedestrian Scale Development Crucial For Revitalizing Downtown

There has been a renaissance in downtowns across America during the past 15 years, despite the fact that zoning laws and the land development industry drastically favor sprawl-type development. The appeal of traditional downtowns—and the defining characteristic that sets those that are successful apart from their suburban competitors—is largely based on what can be summarized as walkable urbanity. Successful revitalization of downtowns requires an understanding of the "pedestrian-scale" environment. A "critical mass" of pedestrian-scale uses must be established as quickly as possible, before the initial revitalization efforts stall for lack of support.