The American Planning Association has announced four neighborhoods, six public spaces, and three streets as 2019 Great Places in America honorees. Nominations for the people's Choice category are still open.
"Every year, the American Planning Association (APA) helps us to better understand what makes an outstanding spot with its Great Places in America program, which recognizes towns that have created spaces that exemplify healthy revitalization, support cultural identity, and foster community," writes Liz Stinson in an article that promotes the 2019 version of the APA's Great Places awards.
"What do all of these places have in common? On the surface, not much. But each was created to address a need in its community, be it a place for families to have a picnic or a revitalization of a formerly distressed downtown."
The complete list of winners reads as follows, with links to the APA's write up on each:
2019 Great Neighborhoods
- Downtown Lee's Summit, Lee's Summit, Missouri
- Downtown Patchogue Village, Patchogue Village, New York
- Short North Arts District, Columbus, Ohio
- Historic Downtown Delaware, Delaware, Ohio
2019 Great Public Spaces
- Pioneer Park, Mesa, Arizona
- Neponset River Greenway, Boston, Massachusetts
- Mohawk Valley Gateway Overlook, Amsterdam, New York
- Governors Island, New York, New York
- Gathering Place, Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Discovery Green, Houston, Texas
2019 Great Streets
- Artery Hopkins, Hopkins, Minnesota
- Water Street, Henderson, Nevada
- Cleveland Street, Redmond, Washington
As noted by Stinson, the APA will accept nominees for the People's Choice award through October 11th. The public will vote on the finalists next week, and then the APA will announce the People's Choice finalist on Wednesday, October 30.
For a record of previous Great Places honorees, see Planetizen coverage from 2018, and additional coverage from across the years. The APA also has a story map that links to 290 locations in the United States that have been designated as Great Places since the program began in 2007.
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