Evanston was ranked one of Livability.com’s top 10 best downtowns for 2015, the website announced Monday.

The website’s editors concentrated on small to mid-sized cities and focused on growing housing values and populations to find cities that were prospering, according to the website. They also looked for areas with strong arts scenes, walkable streets and construction projects, as those are considered signs of economic and cultural growth.

“We’re really in a new golden age of American downtowns,” Livability editor Matt Carmichael (Medill ’96) said in a news release. “Throughout cities large and small, the energy and resources focused on restoring Main Streets and urban cores is paying off.”

According to the website, Evanston’s downtown area has a mix of urban and suburban qualities and social and economic diversity, which led it to put the city in the top 10. It also noted that downtown Evanston has a large cultural scene that attracts a “creative class” and many transportation options, which allow for stress-free travel to and from downtown.

Evanston ranked 10th on the list, with Pittsburgh coming in first.

This post was updated Wednesday at 8:50 p.m.

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