Downtown Decatur named ‘Great Neighborhood’

The American Planning Association announced Thursday it had designated Decatur’s downtown as one of its “10 Great Neighborhoods” for 2013. The APA specifically cited the city’s emphasis on sustainability, transportation alternatives, mixed-use development and [taking] “measures to protect neighborhood character, such as building height limits so as to not compromise the downtown skyline.” Other top 10 neighborhoods this year include Beaufort (SC) Historic District, Evanston, IL, and San Francisco’s Chinatown.