APA's 10 Great Public Places, 2012

Earlier in the month, in "American Planning Association's annual list of "Great Neighborhoods" and cultural tourism" we discussed the American Planning Association's "Great Places in America" program, which honors communities and places in three categories: neighborhoods; streets; and places.  This is the list of "Great Places."  Also see "10 great public spaces that set a city apart" from USA Today.

1.  Bienville Square, Mobile, Alabama
2.  Ritter Park, Huntington, West Virginia
3.  Washington Park, Denver
4.  Buffalo Bayou, Houston
5.  Village Green, Bar Harbor, Maine
6.  Jackson Square, New Orleans
7.  Union Station, Chicago
8.  Gov. Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Portland, Oregon
9.  Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, Illinois
10. Cesar Chavez Plaza, Sacramento, California

I like this historic postcard of Jackson Square in New Orleans because how it denotes the various civic assets located on the Square (the French Market is across the street) is a nice illustration of the concepts of "layering" and the creation of an integrated public realm framework.  See "The layering effect: how the building blocks of an integrated public realm set the stage for community building and Silver Spring, Maryland as an example."