Lodi, Hanford and Woodland have been named the best small-city downtowns in California's Central Valley by California Planning & Development Report, California's leading urban planning publication.

In researching the rankings on small cites, CP&DR found that the Central Valley is filled with interesting small downtowns.

Lodi was praised for "wide sidewalks, cobble-covered streets, a new parking structure, a cinema, a refurbished train station (which now serves as a busy bus station) and events such as a regular farmers' market and street fairs."

"The Central Valley is a place of small towns, many dating to the 19th century and laid out on a grid that straddles the railroad," CP&DR editor Paul Shigley wrote on www.cp-dr.com/blog, the publication's blog. "The classic valley town has a business district along a primary thoroughfare, handsome public buildings that often front on a public square or park, and leafy residential neighborhoods just off downtown."

Woodland and Hanford both scored points for bustling downtowns that revolve around older Main Streets, handsome government buildings (both are county seats), and live venues.

California Planning & Development Report has been the state's leading information source on land-use planning for more than 20 years. The publication will continue its downtown rankings in other categories once a month throughout 2008.