Copenhagen provides an example for how walkable (and attractive) a couple of city blocks can be. Notice, in particular, how close shops are to the street, how small but heavily used the public park space is? Instead of thinking in terms of what we do with whole city blocks maybe Ann Arbor can take a lesson and see how many things can be done on a single block.
Excerpt:
"The square itself is anchored by a single tree in the center, surrounded by benches and more cafes. Small Streets says it's only about a half-acre, but it's quite obviously enough to create a sense of place, somewhere we want to be to relax and enjoy a drink, meal and conversation.
This is all rather simple, and Small Streets presents it in a more engaging fashion than I do here. But simplicity is kind of the point. The amount of density and building stock is just enough to entice and relax without creating a feeling of being overwhelmed or crowded. I would love to have more spaces like this in my own city."
Read the rest
here.
Or, if you want to dig deeper, read the blog that inspired the piece
here.