Photo: Wikimedia Commons.ĥ) Pioneer Courthouse Square, Portland, Oregon Iron fences, walkways, benches, and landscaping remain intact from the original design. Jackson Square was originally designed after the famous Place des Vosges in Paris. It continues to host many live music events, often by big-name performers. In the 20 thCentury the square was famous as a gathering place for artists. At the center of the square is an 1856 statue of Andrew Jackson, one of four identical statues in the US by sculptor Clark Mills. On the northwest side of the square are 18th-century historic buildings, marking the city's colonial center. A high levee now blocks the river views from the square, although a scenic walkway has been built atop the levee on the southwest side. The park is at the heart of the French Quarter, where the neighborhood meets the Mississippi River. In 1803 it was the site where Louisiana was made part of the United States in accordance with the Louisiana Purchase. Like many of the squares on this list, Jackson Square has a tremendous history. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.Ĥ) Jackson Square, New Orleans, Louisiana Jackson Square, with Andrew Jackson statue framed by St. The Plaza area includes historic monuments, restaurants, art galleries and other businesses, the Palace of the Governors (the oldest public building in the US), and the New Mexico Museum of Art, notes Wikipedia. The plaza consists of a central park with grass, shade trees, and benches. The plaza is the central gathering place for the city and a National Historic Landmark. Many Victorian buildings around the plaza were redone in the 19s, when artists and architects promoted adobe to create a distinctive regional style for the city, according to architect and architectural historian John Massengale. The buildings surrounding the plaza are built in an adobe style, but this wasn’t always the case. The Law of the Indies required a plaza (public square) at the center of each settlement. This is another favorite of urbanists and one of only four US squares in Gatje’s book. The square is constantly occupied and street music often is in the air. The buildings all around are mostly historic, low-rise, and mixed use. They make the square wonderfully comfortable, even on summer days, in the hot, coastal, southern climate. The character of the ancient live oaks, with Spanish moss, really stand out. The historic district is famous for its 22 squares-planned by city founder James Oglethorpe-and many of them would be strong candidates for this list. The squares of Savannah, Georgia, are incomparable in character-they have almost a magical quality, as described in literature and movies, like Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Like any great square, Rittenhouse Square is always filled with people on a nice day. The trees are magnificent, providing a mix of cool shade and sunlight. In the square itself, everything is delightful, from the cobblestone and brick pavement, to the aged green patina on the walls, balustrades, fountains, and civic art. It is a big square, surrounded mostly by tall buildings, many of them designed in art deco and Italianate styles, and there is plenty of mixed-use all around. It is easy to see why Rittenhouse is revered. Only Rittenhouse and Washington squares (an honorable mention) remain as great squares in the urban tradition. Two of these squares have been compromised by Interstate construction, and one is the site of the current City Hall. Rittenhouse Square is one of the five original squares planned for William Penn’s original design of Philadelphia, founded in 1682. It is included in Robert Gatje’s 2010 book Great Public Squaresthroughout the world. This square (see photo at top) is on nearly everyone’s list of great public squares in the US. Century after century, they just keep giving to cities, residents, and visitors.ġ) Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Colonial city founders like William Penn and James Oglethorpe made sure to include them in their plans. The Law of the Indies required settlements to be built around squares. Squares are the outdoor living rooms of cities worldwide, and they have been planned at the center of the best North American cities for half of a millennium. It seems only right that we should feature great public squares on Public Square.
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