Mixed-Use Developments. Which City has 'best' mixed-use? (metro, largest, highway)
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"Throughout most of human history, the majority of human settlements developed as mixed-use environments. Walking was the primary way that people and goods were moved about, sometimes assisted by animals such as horses or cattle. Most people dwelt in buildings that were places of work as well as domestic life, and made things or sold things from their own homes. Most buildings were not divided into discrete functions on a room by room basis, and most neighborhoods contained a diversity of uses, even if some districts developed a predominance of certain uses, such as metalworkers, or textiles or footwear due to the socio-economic benefits of propinquity. People lived at very high densities because the amount of space required for daily living and movement between different activities was determined by walkability and the scale of the human body. This was particularly true in cities, and the ground floor of buildings was often devoted to some sort of commercial or productive use, with living space upstairs"
Atlantic Station in Atlanta is a good example of a mixed-use development. They tore down an old steel mill and in its place built a hugely walkable neighborhood with office towers, shopping (including a multi-level Target and the country's largest IKEA), and thousands of new residents.
A similar plan is under way to redevelop the now-defunct Ford plant in Hapeville (South Atlanta) into a mixed-use neighborhood.
Pittsburgh's southside works is another area where they tore down a steel mill and put up a walkable mixed use development. It is full of retail, offices, parks, condos, apartments, theaters, etc. It is built with many LEED designed buildings and is considered highly sustainable.
Although on a much more neighborhood-type scale than Atlantic Station, one of the best mixed-use developments that I've seen is Glenwood Park (SE of downtown Atlanta):
I'd say NYC and Boston. You can walk for miles and miles and be surrounded by mixed use areas.
I have been to some of these newer so called mixed use places, some areas call them "town centers" and they weren't walking friendly at all. They had some apartments, mixed with some retail and food. But were surrounded by large parking lots and 4 lane highways. The whole atmosphere seemed tacky and lame. One place that stands out was the Green in Dayton Ohio.
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