I don't think there's anything groundbreaking here, but Kirk Westphal, from my alma mater, put together a short video about Ann Arbor's lively downtown (two links to his video are toward the bottom of the linked page). Probably everyone at Downtown Springfield is already familiar with these principles, but it would be nice to see a stronger constituency for support of downtown as a vital element of our city, not just for its ability to draw out tourist dollars, but simply because it improves our quality of life.
However, I'd go beyond that, and suggest that these are principles we can apply, in different ways, across Springfield. Certainly, I would hope that any view toward revitalizing MacArthur Boulevard would consider bringing that street closer in, emphasizing trees, pedestrian access, and centralizing parking.
But let's not stop there! Why not change how we develop the west side, so that we create new downtown-like clusters, that work as a whole, rather than building individual lots that cannot connect. Major retailers are increasingly looking to urban centers as the frontiers of their markets, and their range of design options are reflecting that. Why not simply ask* them to build more compact, pedestrian-oriented buildings, even if they're out in greenfields? That would give people a reason to use the bike paths that so many candidates for alderman are eager to promote.
* And, yes, when I say "ask", I probably mean "require."