The Virginian-Pilot
©
VIRGINIA BEACH
The city's Boardwalk has been designated one of the top 10 public spaces in the country by the American Planning Association's Great Places in America program, according to a news release.
The Boardwalk brings recreational and economic value to the city by drawing tourists, but also is designed and constructed to help lessen damage to buildings along that stretch during severe hurricanes and storms, the release says.
The areas on the list are chosen because “they exemplify exceptional character and highlight the role planners and planning play in creating communities of lasting value,” the release says.
Hilton Village in Newport News and Duke of Gloucester Street in Williamsburg also were included on the 2009 list of Great Public Spaces.
To see the rest of the list, click here.
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The Rest is History
This award is the culmination of a process that began back in 1984 when a band of young professionals was appointed by then Mayor Bob Jones. They were designated as the Resort Area Advisory Commission, and they developed a strategic Plan for resort improvements including the boardwalk, the stub street connectors, Atlantic Avenue beautification, code enforcement, improvements in public safety, and entertainment. This Commission, under the leadership of Chairman Tim Barrow, had such luminaires on it as Bruce Thompson, Butch Kitchen, Roger Newill, Ed Roehm, Betty Wells, Tom Kyrus, and others. Frankly, this band of zealots are primarily reaponsible for the revitalization of the resort, because they would not take no for an answer and eventually convinced city council that this natural asset was the jewel of our city and it needed polishing immediately and continually thereafter. They were right, and the rest is history.
Amen
You're spot on. Tim Barrow has contributed more than most to the successful revitalization of the resort area --- thank you, Tim, for all you do.
What a joke
Hold on to your money.This just a way the city can spend more of our money.There no where to park.They tow your car and give you tickets for everything.What a rip off.There are more police then visitors.
Recognition of True Attribute - Not Hotels, Time Shares, Condos
Near completion of the silver strand boardwalk, submitted a fairly detailed plan to City Council that would have linked the then vacant land at 31st St. to the CoVB properties at the First Street Recreation and Surf Park. Two bright green emeralds (Neptune's Lookout and Neptune's Landing - my designations) of expansive vegetated park lands at each end of the silver stranded boardwalk. Honorable Madam Mayor Obendorf (sp) responded to that plan with the nicest written response. Well, half of that vision has been deminished (lousy hotel), but the rest of the country has recognized the boardwalk is something to be proud of and added to. If allowed, you know the hotels would build-out to the very edge of the walkway and fence away everyone but their clients. The best and only prudent use of the CoVB properties at Rudee Loop/First Street is for the largest and most ammenity filled park along the ocean front - a fitting destination for families, locals, and visitors now and into the distant future. All other plans to be rejected!
VB's Northwestern or Pepperdine University
We could do better if we would do emminent domain on "the block", the convention center to ocean front cooridor and the low class hotels and turn them into a "UVA at the Oceanfront" campus with a medical,bio-sciences, dental, law, engineering and liberal arts school. VB is a town that is older than American itself and is long overdue for an ivy league school. (ODU and Regent don't cut it). UVA already has brand-equity as one of the best schools in the nation. Having their campus on the oceanfront will draw the best students from all over the world like Northwestern in Chicago does, This will lead to innovative & hi-tech companies relocating to our area. They will hire these grads & pay them a lot. This is the only way the realtors can get $500K for their 3 story trailer homes in shadowlawn. We would get a year round - vibrant economy. VB would not only be a tourist town, but also a town known for patents, innovation and money (East coast silicone valley on the oceanfront) Vote for me when i run for mayor in 5 years!
top 10
I have been there I don't see anything there to call top 10, I don't see anything there to put it in the top 100.
American Planning Association
As President of the Virginia Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA Virginia), consisting of 1,565 members statewide, and a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), I offer the Chapter's congratulations to the Cities of Newport News, Virginia Beach and Williamsburg for their respective awards from APA for Great Neighborhood, Great Street, and Great Public Space. I am very proud!
APA's flagship program, begun in 2004, celebrates places of exemplary character, quality, and planning. Places are selected annually and represent the gold standard in terms of having a true sense of place, cultural and historical interest, community involvement, and a vision for tomorrow. APA Great Places 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.
sorry it's true
I traveled throughtout the US at the rate of one city per week for a long time. As somebody mentioned it seemed that no matter what city I was in they were winning some sort of award from some organization that the city belonged to. "Least amount of gum on the sidewalks, best smelling dump, whitest lines in the street, etc" The awards are little more then a press release to reward the cities membership. Hope no one really thinks this is news anywhere else.
congrats
All three areas of Hampton Roads (the Boardwalk, Hilton Village, and Duke of Gloucester St.) are all indeed great places. They're some of the things that give HR character and the residents a place to enjoy.
cute
"I grow tired of some of the bashing that goes on here. I'm an adopted citizen of HR. I love it here. No where else I'd rather live. Period. If the negative posters are so miserable, I wish, for their own health and well being, they would seek another place to live, where they might be happier.
-- guns-n-moses "
I can't recall seeing any postings where people were unhappy living here. I do see many postings aimed at the politics of Virginia Beach and Norfolk. I think those postings are for the most part right on target. Don't confuse the two issues like the Pilot obviously has.