Why Americans Crave Community Spaces but Rarely Have European-Style City Squares

Many Americans who spend time in Europe return home with a lingering sense that something is missing from daily life in the United States. What they often miss most are public squares — piazzas, plazas and places that serve as natural gathering points for everyday life.

Travelers describe European squares as places where life unfolds organically. People meet friends, shop for food, attend events or simply linger without the expectation of spending money. In cities like Lyon, France, or Lüneburg, Germany, these pedestrian-centered spaces provide daily social connection that feels largely absent in much of the US.

Urban planners say the difference is rooted in how cities developed. European cities were built around people long before cars existed, with networks of walkable streets connecting central squares. In contrast, most American cities expanded rapidly in the 20th century alongside automobiles. Highways, parking lots and wide roads reshaped urban centers, leaving fewer spaces designed purely for pedestrians.

According to global walkability rankings, US cities consistently rank near the bottom, with fewer than 4 percent of Americans walking to work. While some historic US cities such as Savannah, Charleston, Santa Fe and Philadelphia still feature traditional squares, they are exceptions rather than the norm.

Even when plazas exist in modern American cities, many fail to function as true community spaces. Some were added as architectural requirements in front of office buildings and became what planners call “blah-zas” — areas people pass through rather than gather in. Others are dominated by traffic or commercial activity, limiting their role as open civic spaces.

Still, interest in walkable, community-centered design is growing. Developers are experimenting with car-free or low-car communities built around shared courtyards and plazas, such as Culdesac Tempe in Arizona. These projects remain niche, but planners say demand is rising as Americans seek connection in an increasingly isolated, digital world.

Experts caution that transforming American cities into networks of piazzas would require major investments, land-use changes and expanded public transit. Even so, many believe travel is helping reshape expectations.

For those inspired by life abroad, the lesson is clear: people value places designed for connection. And while the US may never fully mirror Europe’s public square culture, the desire for community-driven spaces continues to influence how Americans imagine the future of their cities.

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