I believe it is Jane Jacobs in "The Death and Life of Great American Cities," who says that big cities are prone to small, random "marvelous accidents." You are walking somewhere and come across something by surprise, a place that gives some unexpected human sensory experience.
I would argue that's not just a city experience. This below is my favorite little suburban retail oasis, a random, small surprise in placemaking. I credit these large palm trees, lighted at night, and towering over outdoor tables and a fountain in Elk Grove, California.
I usually cruise through here on the way to Borders. The experience is 15 to 20 seconds of outdoor music, three or four restaurants and a quick sense of life happening here. It's not big, not great-city grand. Just a nice small place that you can feel. It works. Young people congregate here. It's all the more amazing being next to a suburban parking lot.(Left click twice for a bigger photo).
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