A success story in an old Navy town.
"Even five years ago, long after the pedestrian mall had been reopened as a street and the city had invested millions in downtown, 'you could shoot a cannon down Granby Street after dark and not hit a car,' notes longtime Mayor Paul Fraim. Today, the main complaint about Granby Street is that you can't find on-street parking at night. The street has once again become the center of a developing theater and restaurant district, filled with people every night of the week. It's an example of how thoroughly Norfolk, a once decaying Navy town, has transformed itself into the vibrant, cosmopolitan heart of a metropolitan area (pop. 1.7 million) that includes Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, and Suffolk. And it's made the leap without help from high tech or high growth by emphasizing planning and by gambling on a huge urban mall to catalyze downtown development."
Thanks to Chris Steins
FULL STORY: Norfolk Takes Back Its Heart

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
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