plazas
Open civic spaces
Plazas is the plural of plaza, a public square or open space in a city or town.
The word comes from Spanish and carries associations with Mediterranean and Latin American urban design—spaces for gathering, markets, or civic life.
In American usage, plaza often names shopping centers or commercial developments: strip plazas, shopping plazas.
Four-sided equal figures
- piazzasOpen urban squares
- town squaresCentral public open areas
- courtyardsEnclosed open-air spaces
- public spacesAreas open to all
fountains · benches · pedestrians · pavement · civic centers · marketplaces · promenades · esplanades
Spanish word for markets
- cathedralsPrincipal churches of dioceses
- bandstandsRoofed outdoor performance platforms
- fiestaFestive public celebration
- mariachiMexican folk ensemble
vendors · colonial · tiles · palms · bougainvillea · gazebos · paseo · jardin
Unoccupied expanses or gaps
- hardscapeConstructed outdoor elements
- landscapingModifying outdoor areas aesthetically
- water featuresDecorative liquid elements outdoors
- seatingAvailable places to sit
shade structures · pergolas · planters · bollards · accessibility · sightlines · focal points · urban design
Multi-store retail complexes
- mallsIndoor retail centers
- strip mallsConnected roadside retail buildings
- storefrontsForward-facing retail exteriors
- retailSales to end users
parking lots · anchor stores · food courts · boutiques · outlets · chain stores · signage · convenience stores
squares
Four-sided equal figures
- piazzasOpen urban squares
- town squaresCentral public open areas
- courtyardsEnclosed open-air spaces
public spaces · fountains · benches · pedestrians · pavement · civic centers · marketplaces · promenades · esplanades · arcades
mercados
Spanish word for markets
- cathedralsPrincipal churches of dioceses
- bandstandsRoofed outdoor performance platforms
- fiestaFestive public celebration
mariachi · vendors · colonial · tiles · palms · bougainvillea · gazebos · paseo · jardin · atrium
open spaces
Unoccupied expanses or gaps
- hardscapeConstructed outdoor elements
- landscapingModifying outdoor areas aesthetically
- water featuresDecorative liquid elements outdoors
seating · shade structures · pergolas · planters · bollards · accessibility · sightlines · focal points · urban design · public art
shopping centers
Multi-store retail complexes
- mallsIndoor retail centers
- strip mallsConnected roadside retail buildings
- storefrontsForward-facing retail exteriors
retail · parking lots · anchor stores · food courts · boutiques · outlets · chain stores · signage · convenience stores · supermarkets
- campus featureslibrary, libraries, dorm, dorms, dormitory
- facilitiesfactory, facilities, gym, plant, gyms
- green citiesgreen buildings, green space, bike lanes, solar panels, urban parks
- Maya RuinsTikal, Maya ruins, Mayan ruins, stelae, acropolis
- Mexico CityChapultepec, colonias, metro, Benito Juarez, Santa Fe
- SantiagoSantiago, Alameda, historic center, historical center, funicular
plazasparks
Public recreation grounds
gardens · green spaces · woodlands · forests · meadows
plazasrestricted areas
Spaces with limited access
interiors · enclosed spaces · bunkers · private property · secure facilities
plazaswilderness
Uncultivated, uninhabited natural region
backcountry · wildlands · countryside · hinterlands · rural areas
- toll plazasHighway fee stations
- Aubrey Plaza
- shopping plazaCommercial retail complex
- central plazaPrimary urban open space
- travel plazaHighway facility with amenities
- public plazaOpen urban gathering space