Plaza

A plaza /ˈplɑːzə/ is an open urban public space, such as a city square.

Throughout Spanish America and the Spanish East Indies, the plaza mayor of each center of administration held three closely related institutions: the cathedral, the cabildo or administrative center, which might be incorporated in a wing of a governor's palace, and the audiencia or law court. The plaza might be large enough to serve as a military parade ground. At times of crisis or fiesta, it was the space where a large crowd might gather. Like the Italian piazza, the plaza remains a center of community life that is only equaled by the market-place.

Most colonial cities in Spanish America and the Philippines were planned around a square plaza de armas, where troops could be mustered, as the name implies, surrounded by the governor's palace and the main church. A plaza de toros is a bullring.

In modern usage, a plaza can be any gathering place on a street or between buildings, a street intersection with a statue, etc. Today's metropolitan landscapes often incorporate the "plaza" as a design element, or as an outcome of zoning regulations, building budgetary constraints, and the like. Sociologist William H. Whyte conducted an extensive study of plazas in New York City: his study humanized the way modern urban plazas are conceptualized, and helped usher in significant design changes in the making of plazas.

Plaza (surname)

Plaza is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:

Plaza (disambiguation)

Plaza is a Spanish word for a city square; it may more specifically refer to:

People

Places

See also

Athens

Athens (/ˈæθᵻnz/;Modern Greek: Αθήνα, Athína [[aˈθina]], Ancient Greek: Ἀθῆναι Athēnai), is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, with its recorded history spanning around 3,400 years, and the earliest human presence around the 11th–7th centuries BC.Classical Athens was a powerful city-state that emerged in conjunction with the seagoing development of the port of Piraeus. A centre for the arts, learning and philosophy, home of Plato's Academy and Aristotle's Lyceum, it is widely referred to as the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy, largely because of its cultural and political impact on the European continent and in particular the Romans. In modern times, Athens is a large cosmopolitan metropolis and central to economic, financial, industrial, maritime, political and cultural life in Greece. In 2015, Athens was ranked the world's 29th richest city by purchasing power and the 67th most expensive in a UBS study.

Athens (disambiguation)

Athens is the capital city of Greece.

Athens may also refer to:

Placename

Athens, Texas

Athens is a city in Henderson County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 12,710. It is the county seat of Henderson County. The city also calls itself the "Black-Eyed Pea Capital of the World." Athens was selected as one of the first 'Certified Retirement Communities' in Texas. It was named after Athens, Alabama by one of the early residents who came from there.

Geography

Athens is located at 32°12′10″N 95°50′57″W / 32.20278°N 95.84917°W / 32.20278; -95.84917 (32.202782, -95.849140).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 17.0 square miles (44.0 km²), of which 14.6 square miles (37.8 km²) is land and 2.3 square miles (6.0 km²) (13.85%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 12,710 people, 4,110 households, and 2,807 families residing in the city. The population density was 772.8 people per square mile (298.3/km²). There were 4,549 housing units at an average density of 311.2 per square mile (120.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 72.14% White, 19.23% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.64% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 6.17% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.37% of the population.