Earlier this week the American Planning Association (APA) announced 15 winners of the 2017 Great Places in America award. In the mix of places being lauded this year are two Texas spaces, both in the Hill Country: the neighborhood around San Antonio’s Pearl Brewery complex and San Angelo’s Concho River Walk.
The APA uses the Great Places in America award to “celebrate stories of exemplary planning that has resulted in stronger, healthier, and more just communities.” Each of the spaces recognized receives a page dedicated to an explanation of why they were selected.
Regarding the Alamo City’s Pearl neighborhood, the APA writes:
“The fundamental idea was to create a place for and by locals that also appeals to visitors. At the heart of the whole project is a commitment to all things culinary. Pearl partnered with the Culinary Institute of America to launch their first urban campus with a focus on Latin cuisine and creating educational access for historically underserved student populations. Pearl also has worked over the last 15 years with independent local chefs to open 19 food and beverage establishments. Its latest culinary project, the Bottling Department Food Hall, which features five local operators offering diverse cuisine at affordable prices, opened in 2017.
The public-private partnership between Pearl and San Antonio’s city planners has been a catalyst for historic preservation and economic development in the city center, and Pearl’s rapid ascent has allowed it to become a nexus of economic and social activity once again.”
For San Angelo’s Concho River Walk, the APA writes:
“The Concho River Walk promotes year-round social and physical activity with walking trails along the route’s non-linear bridges, mimicking the meandering river that it crosses. There is never a shortage of activities, especially with the recent addition of The Bosque, an activity area that features mini-golf, paddle boats, food concessions, and more.
San Angelo residents’ investment in themselves has paid off tenfold. The beauty of the Concho River Walk has increased social activity and activated a sense of pride among residents for having played a role in creating this public space for the community. With plans to expand the Concho River Walk even further, the story of San Angelo’s reinvention may have just begun.”
You can see the full slate of 2017 Great Places in America winners here.
Story and photograph by Pamela Price
Explore More:
• San Antonio’s The Rivard Report has an excellent piece on the historic Pearl Brewery complex from earlier in the year, written by Shari Biediger.
