The way cities are built impact the way we live our life, the number of in-person serendipitous interactions with people and - according to the King of Spain in the early 1500s - whether we are able to exercise our rights as humans.
When Spain expanded into the Americas, the King set up a strong system of governance for rule of the growing empire. These rules established order, protection for inhabitants and the design of the cities. One important part of the city design - which could learn, again, today - was to start with the public space (plaza) and build around it. Design it so people are drawn to the plaza in the center.
You can find these types of cities in most of the Spanish parts of the Americas from the US to Argentina. Maybe you've visited one.
Here is a video from a small town from a recent trip to El Salvador with the Laws of the Indies city center still in tact. Where most of the cities in North America are now built around the automobile, it was refreshing to see a city for people.
Let me know what you think. Have you visited one of these types of cities? What do you think of the built environment where you live?