Claudia Hargrove Thoughts
What Makes a Great Neighborhood, “Great”?
October 3, 2017 - Claudia Hargrove Thoughts
Whether you’re looking to move to a new neighborhood, or you want to know if your current neighborhood is a good fit for you, these questions can help you gauge for quality. These are the questions that the American Planning Association (APA) use to determine a neighborhood’s eligibility for “great neighborhood”.
Neighborhood Form and Composition
How does the neighborhood …
Capitalize on building design, scale, architecture, and proportionality to create interesting visual experiences, vistas, or other qualities? Accommodate multiple users and provide access (via walking, bicycling, or public transit) to multiple destinations that serve its residents? Foster social interaction and create a sense of community and neighborliness?
Promote security from crime is made safe for children and other users (i.e. traffic calming, other measures)?
Use, protect, and enhance the environment and natural features?
Neighborhood Character and Personality
How does the neighborhood …
Reflect the community’s local character and set itself apart from other neighborhoods?
Retain, interpret, and use local history to help create a sense of place?
Neighborhood Environment and Sustainable Practices
How does the neighborhood …
Promote or protect air and water quality, protect groundwater resources, and respond to the growing threat of climate change? What forms of “green infrastructure” are used (e.g., local tree cover mitigating heat gain)?
Utilize measures or practices to protect or enhance local biodiversity or the local environment?
For a full list of guidelines, or to view the original article, click here.
