Do Great Plazas Exist In the U.S.?

Squares, Places, Plazas, Piazzas. Whatever the language the idea is the same: it's the gravitation center of your city. Let's decide the best in the U.S.

General sale now on for my April 24, 2026 event at Hunter College in New York City. Ticketing link: https://bit.ly/HC-4-24

Patreon — a way to directly support my ability to talk about what I want to talk about every week, and get out to the cities I want to highlight. Much appreciation to all of you who are already patrons!

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Read William H. Whyte's The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces — you won't regret it. Library or an independent bookstore are cool, but use this link if you're lazy and you don't mind the online retailer in question sending me a small commission: https://amzn.to/3NCkQqY

Resources:

• https://www.pdx.edu/urban-studies-planning/graduate-courses

• https://www.cnu.org/publicsquare/2019/05/10/ten-great-public-squares

• https://washingtonpark.org/

• https://www.opb.org/article/2024/04/06/agora-in-portland-how-the-pioneer-courthouse-square-as-we-know-it-has-evolved-over-150-years/

• https://www.visitsaltlake.com/things-to-do/attractions/historic-sites/historic-temple-square/

Images:

• Cincinnati Music Hall By Larsonj3 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=66012216

• Portland Hotel By Unknown author - Oregon Native Son, Vol. II, No. 7, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8678282

• Discovery Green By Hequals2henry - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19624852

• Discovery Green bocce By Paul Duron (Houtexusa (talk) (Uploads)) - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=100134735

• Union Square NYC By chensiyuan - chensiyuan, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10514960

• American Radiator Building By Elmschrat Coaching38 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15961529

• Bryant Park Station By Harrison Leong - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27625952

• Union Square (thumbnail) via Getty Images, Credit: Michael Lee, Creative #: 954188030, License type: Royalty-free, Collection: Moment

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Music: CityNerd background: Caipirinha in Hawaii by Carmen María and Edu Espinal (YouTube music library)

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