Decatur’s Third Places and Public Spaces
Decatur Metro | July 28, 2010How does Decatur stack up to GOOD magazine’s recent checklist of what a “model town” looks like?
According to the mag’s Neighborhood Issue, an “excellent” town (or neighborhood) has the following characteristics:
- A Signature Event – self explanatory
- Third Places – the gathering places of a community. Home and work are the 1st and 2nd places.
- Public Spaces – access to nature
- A Human Scale – this is basically “walkability”
- An Anchor Institution – college towns is the example given
- Diversity – not just of race or income, but thought, food, etc.
So here’s what I’ve been wondering: WHAT is Decatur’s signature event and anchor institution? WHERE are its “third places” and public spaces? HOW does it do in terms of human scale and diversity?