ABSTRACT
Streets within cities used to have distinctly localized flavor. But they began to become homogenized with the introduction of standards promulgated by federal agencies and professional engineering societies. Fortunately, in the last decade many people have concluded that they prefer different sets of choices. Denser cities and their downtowns offer these choices. Even better, a characteristic of central cities is that they continually change, presenting people with new choices and dimensions and adding layers of richness, new entrepreneurial energy, and individualized goods and services. People value density, proximity, and the presence of other people in a compact and varied setting. As heretical as it may sound to some planners, focusing on transportation elements is much more likely to influence urban form and allow for change and choice than emphasizing land use. In the end, fussing over land use is pretty insignificant and irrelevant. Downtowns and their close-in neighborhoods can thrive on just about any combination of uses.
