Check out this story! Raleigh planner Dan Douglas has several creative ways to make North Carolina's capital city a major competitor against every city in the world. His focus: economic development, innovation and quality of life. Dan Douglas' European vision for our capital city Raleigh, meet Madrid. And Barcelona. And Freiburg. Source: The Independent Weekly, October 7, 2009

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Raleigh planner Dan Douglas has some bold proposals for the city, including nine new public squares, green roofs, and a new Grand Central Station-style transit hub.

Douglas, formerly a planner with the city, is now working a private firm. He's proposing an independent development corporation be formed to purchase unused land in Raleigh and transform the city. Some of Douglas' ideas for Raleigh include:

"Nine new public squares, including two that would double as green roofs on top of parking decks. Buildings generally would be limited to six to seven stories except in the heart of downtown. "That way you get three six-story buildings instead of one 18-story building and two empty lots," Douglas says.

One of the two green-roofed decks would support a new, multi-level "grand central station" for city and regional buses, Triangle Transit's planned commuter-rail line, and a future Amtrak high-speed line."