Those in Canada pride their metropolises for their gleaming towers of High Park lofts or leafy public parks or numbers of historic buildings, but they have no comprehensive standards for what makes a Canadian city an exemplary representation of Canadian living. In America, the National Civic League has created such a program. It awards 10 cities in the nation the All-America City Award each year, and Plano, Texas was a recipient in 1994. But what does this mean for you, a person who is considering moving to the city? To help people like you understand this distinction, we've created this article.
The National Civic League
The National Civic League was formed out of a concern for the direction in which American civilization was heading in 1894. Just as Canadians are concerned about the continued encroachment of Toronto Beaches homes into protected land, the founders of the league wished to encourage people to become interested in the direction things were going and to promote success and diversity. In its early years its members included such famous Americans as Frederick Law Olmstead and Theodore Roosevelt. Today it is best known for the All-America Cities Program.
The All-America Cities Program
The point of the All-America Cities Program is to promote community involvement and boost civic pride by having cities compete against one another to win the award. If such a program existed in Canada, browsing Mississauga real estate listings would be less like picking out a house and more like auditioning for a place on the Mississauga civic team. Beginning in 1949, the National Civic League has taken applications from communities of all sizes: cities, towns, counties, regions and neighborhoods, which wanted to compete for the honor and has selected ten winners per year.
What It Takes to Win
Winning an All-America City Award is more involved than simply erecting a shiny new block of Queen West condos. It requires participation from the public, the private sector, and non-profit groups all working in conjunction. Decisions made have to reflect the views of many social, ethnic, religious, and age groups and the city needs to use its natural resources in a creative way. They have to be able to demonstrate that they have achieved something real, like a new park or a public transit system that meets some need within the community. They also have to prove that these projects have positively affected the lives of the people in the city, especially the lives of children.
Plano's Fellow Achievers
Given all these requirements, Plano's achievement is worthy indeed; perhaps even impressive enough to have you setting aside the ad for that Scarborough home for sale and searching for real estate in Plano. If Texas isn't your thing, however, Plano's fellow All-American Cities may be more to your liking. Check out: Fort Wayne, Indiana, Aurora, Colorado, Akron, Ohio, Santa Rosa, California, St. Louis, Missouri, Spokane, Washington, Pembroke Pines, Florida, Des Moines, Iowa, Buffalo, New York, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Shreveport, Louisiana and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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