The Secrets of Plano's Success

With a string of successes in downtown revitalization under its built, Plano, Texas is looking to duplicate that model elsewhere around the city.

1 minute read

September 18, 2016, 11:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell

Nan Palmero / Flickr

“Things are going well for downtown Plano,” according to an article by Andrew Keatts.

Almost 15 years ago, Dallas-area regional planners put a light-rail station in historic downtown Plano. Since then, city leaders watched the area thrive with the types of developments – mixed-use, walkable, transit-oriented, public-private partnerships – that win a game of urban planning buzzword bingo.

Keatts notes that downtown Plano’s accomplishments earned recognition on the American Planning Association’s list of Great Places in America. Keatts provides a history of downtown Plano’s decline and resurgence, starting with disinvestment in the 1980s, the city’s first downtown plan in 1992, the arrival of a regional light rail line in 2002, and the transit oriented development that followed.

FULL STORY: What Downtown Plano’s Rebirth Can Teach Other Mid-Sized Cities

Thursday, September 8, 2016 in The Urban Edge

Community / Economic Development Land Use Urban Development Texas Plano downtown revitalization Great Places in America Transit Oriented Development Planning View More

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