Great Places in Florida

2026 Theme: Great People-Focused Places

The best places in any city, town, or neighborhood are designed around the people who use them. They do more than move people through. They give people reasons to arrive, stay, gather, explore, and return. Human-scale places are those where buildings meet the street, daily needs are within reach, and the public realm offers something to notice, somewhere to pause, and someone to run into.

These places are diverse in use, rich in texture, and thoughtful in detail. They can take many forms: a neighborhood corridor, a small public square, a walkable block, or a transit node. What they share is a sense of welcome, activity, and belonging. They are the places that make a community feel like home.

Download 2026 Rules + Criteria

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Categories for nomination

Street: A street or block designed at a human scale, where buildings, sidewalks, and uses work together to create a walkable, engaging public realm. Should not be located within a downtown boundary.

Public Space: A plaza, park, courtyard, or gathering place designed at a human scale to invite everyday use, rest, and social interaction within a neighborhood or district. Should not be located within a downtown boundary.

Greenway/Trail: A linear corridor that connects human-scale places to one another, providing low-stress access through neighborhoods, natural areas, or urban districts.

Downtown: A block, street, plaza, or district within a defined downtown that exemplifies human-scale design principles and the conditions for vibrant street life.