The APA Great Places sections "offer better choices for where and how people work and live. They are enjoyable, safe, and desirable. They are places where people want to be - not only to visit, but to live and work every day." Pictured is Hermann Park in Houston, and the Sam Houston monument. Image: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. CC-BY-SA-3.0 Self-published work. 2012 photographs of Houston by Another Believer.

Fifth Street in Dayton is Ohio's oldest neighborhood and the first listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Locally owned businesses are woven into the fabric of the street, fostering a strong sense of community.
Image: Dayton.com

Well, it's that time of year when the American Planning Association (APA) presents its Great Places, what it calls the "gold standard" of "true sense of place, cultural and historical interest, community involvement, and a vision for tomorrow." APA has three categories of 'Great Places': neighborhoods, streets and neighborhoods. This year's honorees:

Great Neighborhoods
Roosevelt Row, Phoenix
Wynwood, Miami
Crossroads Arts District, Kansas City, Mo.
Downtown Plano, Texas

Great Streets
Olvera Street, L.A.
Fifth Street (Dayton, Ohio)
Laura Street, Jacksonville, Fla.
Lexington Ave., Asheville, N.C.
Third Street, McMinnville, Ore.

Great Public Spaces
Balboa Park, San Diego
Pearl Street Mall, Boulder, Colo.
Millennium Park, Chicago
Flint Farmers' Market, Flint, Mich.
Santa Fe Railyard, Santa Fe
HeHermann Park, Houston
PA says its selection of great streets, neighborhoods and public spaces are defined by architectural features, accessibility, functionality and community involvement. For more details, visit www.greatplaces