Suburban areas looking to improve public places can try following this advice.
Eric Bethany offers a few guidelines for the development of successful suburban centers—following the trend of suburban areas around the country mimicking the walkability and a mix of uses found in more urban areas.
Bethany is taking inspiration from the development of Parsons Alley in the city of Duluth, Georgia, which won a 2017 ULI Development of Excellence Award and a 2017 Charter Award from the Congress for the New Urbanism.
The bulk of the post is devoted to a list of placemaking guidelines that are borrowed from examples like New Orleans, Charleston, and streetcar suburbs outside Atlanta.
The list reads as follows, with more detail in the source post:
- Storefronts you can touch
- It's all about the glass
- Perimeter Parking
- Great public space
- Familiar materials
- Open container
- Attention to detail
- Variety
FULL STORY: Eight elements for a successful suburban center

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