What: A gorgeous, covered market that dates to the turn of the 20th century and is a focal point for city life.

Why it Works: The spectacular building has been lovingly renovated and sits in all its glory just steps from the Danube on the Pest side, at the foot of the Liberty Bridge (itself a lovely structure). Not only is it beautiful, it is completely wheelchair accessible. Plenty of local people shop for their daily fare here undaunted by the hundreds of tourists roaming up and down the aisles. The second floor contains the handicrafts and souvenirs so dear to visitors hearts: embroidery, leather work, hand-carved chess sets, matruska dolls from Russia. The lower level is devoted to food - there are aisles of fresh vegetables, stands of fowl and meat, a couple of shops with wine and liquor. The only problem a guest faces is trying to choose from the salami, strings of red peppers and packets of saffron. Far in the back, a few small farmers come in from the country with honey, peppers and fresh berries in season.

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What: A former industrial area that has been redeveloped to promote outdoor activity in both summer and winter - important in a northern city like Winnipeg.

Why it Works: This community place is used year round for gathering and recreation. In the summer there are concerts and markets and lots of greenspace. In the winter, once the river is frozen, the City prepares the ice for ice skating (originating at the forks), curling rinks and sleigh rides. The Forks promotes outdoor activity both in the summer and winter. The Forks originally was an industrial area of the city. Once it was no longer used industrially, the city redeveloped the area for community interaction. The buildings (old train stations) were turned into markets and the river had a walkway developed along it. It is also a historical site with museums, a childrens’ museum and other creative spaces. The nice thing is that it is a success story: people in the 1980’s didn’t expect it to work, and it has.

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What: A permanent market on the Amazon River with over 2000 tents.

Why it Works: The Ver-o-peso market is amazing market located on the Amazon River. It is on a very large-scale with more than 2000 tents. It is a historical site, and was recently renewed. Located in the city centre, on the margins of Guajará Bay, it is accessible by the people who come from the nearby islands by boat. The place is full of life, densely occupied with people and products from the Amazon. The fish market, a steel construction imported from Glasgow in 1901, is the most memorable image of the city. The market is open from 4:00am to 15:00pm. People from all social classes use the market. It is where they buy traditional products from the Amazon. The people here are very friendly, although there are a few pick pockets.

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What: A boulevard-like park in the city centre.

Why it Works: Esplanade Park in the centre of Helsinki consists of two active streets – Northern and Southern Esplanade – and a longitudinal, boulevard-like park between them. The park is built on east-west direction, so the sun shines nicely on the park throughout the day. The park is centrally located, and can be considered as the borderline between the most active commercial centre and the more peaceful, southern part of the city. At the east, the park ends at a fountain, behind which opens up the view to the market square of Helsinki and the sea. At the western end the Esplanade green space is closed by the Swedish theatre, behind which runs the busiest street in the centre of Helsinki. The theatre building acts as a wall blocking the traffic noise, so the Esplanade Park is at the same time both close to the busy city and a calm resort.

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What: Situated in the heart of Madison, a market whose fame extends well beyond the city.

Why it Works: On Saturdays this market surrounds the Capitol Square. The vendors are friendly Wisconsin growers. On Wednesdays the market is on a street that runs from the Square to the Monona Terrace. The Capitol Square is on the isthmus in Madison. There are parking garages near the market, but many people either walk or bike to the market. Capitol Square is connected to the University of Wisconsin by State street. State Street provides additional shopping - clothing, music, restaurants, etc. - and traffic is restricted to buses and commercial delivery vehicles. Everybody shops here. It is clean and beautiful - summer in Madison, Wisconsin is amazing and green. The setting of the market around the Capitol building is idyllic. During the market the area is really dominated by pedestrians and cyclists. Vendors sell cheese (goat cheese, cheese curds, and more), produce (every apple you can imagine in the fall), flowers, poultry, fish, bread, nuts, jams, honey, and more. The crowd is as diverse as Madison - you will see many families, college students, and even politicians.

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What: Egyptians say “Alexandria is Asafra”: the beach that runs parallel to the city’s main street.

Why it Works: Asafra is a long beach that is shaped in waves so that as you are walking, the road appears to end; yet you are surprised to see another wave still ahead of you. You can see the sunset quite clearly from each wave.  Some important buildings like the Alexandria Library are located across from the beach. The interesting thing about Asafra is that although it is a very long and not very fancy or designed, it is always full of life and people all day long until late at night. If you decide to take a walk, you may be surprised to find that you have walked for hours without noticing. Maybe it is the many places to sit down and relax, or the different items you can buy from all the carts that are scattered along the beach. Perhaps it’s the Egyptian people who are full of life and enthusiasm. It’s just a place where you may lose track of time.

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What: Scotland’s principal shopping street, and the heart of Glasgow.

Why it Works: Buchanan Street has been Glasgow’s premier street for the past two centuries and is an integral part of the fabric of Glasgow’s historic city centre. With its richly ornamented Victorian and Edwardian commercial buildings as a backdrop, Buchanan Street is Glasgow’s grandest promenade. Along its length it contains numerous shops, two arcades, two major shopping centers, a museum and library, and a design centre. The entrance to the city’s main concert hall both terminates the street’s axis and helps turn the corner into Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow’s other main shopping artery. The street is pedestrianized and attracts numerous visitors. There are several intersecting routes and public spaces, which offer a variety of activities. There are regular displays of street theatre and a monthly farmers market. In 2003 it was voted Scotland’s favorite street in a BBC / CABE poll. In summer 2004 it was awarded a Congress for New Urbanism award for excellence.

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What: A public park known for its views.

Why it Works: Mission Dolores Park is a beautiful eight-square block park nestled on a hillside with broad sweeping views of downtown San Francisco and the Bay Area skyline to the northeast. Located directly in between famous Castro Street in The Castro, and Valencia Street in The Mission, Dolores park is also only a few blocks from bustling Market street. Accessible by light rail on the F and J lines, Dolores Park is also walking distance from the BART, multiple MUNI and bus lines, and the Haight Ashbury neighborhood. Dolores park is right in the middle of the cultural and social center of San Francisco. Although the park is quite heavily used on sunny days, the grass is in good shape, and the crowd doesn’t feel like a deterrent. There are benches bordering the park and scattered throughout, but most people prefer to sit on the sloped ground which faces the northeast with beautiful far reaching views on the Bay Area. The park features a few basketball and tennis courts and a playground. There is loads of open space and it is not uncommon to see young people throwing a frisbee, or dogs chasing balls. The park is happily shared by families and twenty and thirty somethings at all hours of the day. The park is surrounded by some of the best cafes the city has to offer and is an excellent place to bring a cup of coffee and a croissant with the morning paper.

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Photo: Akademgorodok: Town of Science in Siberia. 1995.

What: A pedestrian-oriented, academic oasis in the midst of the vast Siberian taiga.

Why it Works: Despite the Siberian cold (and Soviet planners), Akademgorodok is a robust pedestrian community. The town is home to dozens of academic institutions and the University of Novosibirsk. What really sets this town apart from others, in terms of public spaces, is its network of well-used pedestrian paths. These trails are the sinewy arteries of this vibrant town. They are an organic part of the landscape. The wide streets are busy twice a day with cars and buses slipping and sliding along the ice. The trails, by contrast, are almost always buzzing with activity. The pedestrian paths also link the town with surrounding destinations: the beach at the Ob Sea, the woods (for berry picking and mushroom gathering), and even nearby villages. Another neat aspect of the trails is that, since there are so many, you can choose from the many different ways to get from point A to point B. Stores, houses, offices and playgrounds are scattered in places, clustered in others, but they are all within walking distance. The paths are not where you plan to meet, they are the places where you run into familiar people by happenstance, which makes meeting friendly faces all the more enjoyable.

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What: A multi-use transfer point for all main lines of mass transit in Tokyo, this station is filled with people from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. every day of the week.

Why it Works: The Japanese know how to use their valuable space efficiently. This is urban development at its best; you can go to one spot in the city and have a gazillion choices of activities to do. There are no dead spaces in this station. Every square foot of real estate has its function, including the locker areas, restrooms, police station, telephone booths, etc. The train station is open to all streets. Imagine a spider web with Shinjuku Station in the middle and Tokyo streets connected radially from it. You can access the station from many parts of the downtown. Wayfinding is easy, because there are signs every 10 feet, and the signs are in Japanese and English. You can do your shopping at the department stores right in the train station, or have a quick dinner at one of the take out soba places, or grab some toiletries at the small drugstores in the station. Shinjuku Station is one of the most common meeting places for people because it is the point where all trains in Tokyo converge, so it is convenient to use as a meeting place.

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