downtown
Traditionally the center of cities. In recent times many are no longer the precise geographic center of their city or economic regions, though they may be at the center of its mass transportation system. However, the “downtown” may be the most important part of the city’s and region’s economy, and have its strongest entertainment and cultural assets. What seems most significant is not it being at the geographic center but that it has central importance for many social and economic functions that are closely entwined. It’s the functional characteristics, not the geographical ones that are important! Not all downtowns, even among those grouped as large, medium and small cities are the same geographic size. Photo from Detroit, Michigan, 2021. (Milder, 2021)