New Urbanism Thriving In Michigan

"In the early 1980s, downtown Holland was like many other central business districts in small and mid-size American cities, a dated shopping area losing customers to malls and chain stores, with a vacancy rate of 40 percent. Today, the city's downtown is a vibrant district of boutiques, art galleries and restaurants, with antique lightposts and benches and brick-paved sidewalks kept clear of snow and ice by an underground heating system.... A sunny day in Holland, Mich., finds a number of people walking in the downtown area. Holland's downtown features full-time residents and local shoppers, due in large part to civic planning, which has helped the area thrive."

Thanks to Congress on New Urbanism