Vital communities: the promise of 'New Urbanism' in seniors housing by Richard L. Peck

Every so often I have this fantasy of living the urban highlife downtown. My well-appointed condo would have a view of Lake Erie and I’d be able to walk to world-class stores, stadiums, restaurants and theaters. As it happens, my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio—laughingly called “the most miserable city in America” by Forbes.com—just might be one of the most walkable cities in the nation. It is certainly one of the most compact. Within several city blocks lie Cleveland’s major league sports facilities, four-star restaurants, a Terminal Tower shopping center, science museum, Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame, and theater district. And a brand new trolley line now connects the downtown with the important uptown venues of Cleveland State University, the Cleveland Playhouse, Severance Hall (home of the Cleveland Orchestra), Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic.