4. Build a Market Square Worth Lingering In
Give traders a proper home: stalls with striped awnings, crates of goods, barrels, and a mix of slabs and steps to sit on. Place the stalls around a central feature — a fountain, a statue or a notice board — so the square becomes a destination rather than a shortcut. A few wandering villagers, some hay bales and a notice board with a hand-made sign finish the scene.