Fused grid
Fused Grid embodies the synthesis of two North American approaches to urban planning, namely the usual checkerboard-like grid from the 19th century with the meandering, curved streets and dead ends of modern suburbs .
This synthesis of inherited traditions is achieved through the practical application of rectilinear orthogonal geometry, the main feature of the grid and the use of two road shapes belonging to the curve geometry.
The development quality, the second, fundamental feature of the grid, is restored by pedestrian zones , which also allow other modes of transport . These pedestrian zones represent a third component and complete the "system". The pedestrian zones are usually led through open spaces, which are the focus of the residential area cells. In this way, the street network of the residential area is characterized by a mixture of pedestrian zones and street sections. Although the entire system may not seem familiar, the underlying elements are known and are often used.
The aim of the fused grid is to create a balance between vehicle traffic and pedestrian traffic, to create safe roads that encourage sociability among residents and facilitate access to public facilities. These properties as well as the advantages of conventional traffic planning are achieved in the fused grid, which is in contrast to the traditional grid. The straight-line orthogonal grid that largely shaped North American urban planning in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries can be traced back to the city planner Hippodamos (498 BC to 408 BC), who lived in the 5th century BC become. He applied the so-called Hippodamian system to the redesign of Miletus .
The fused grid consists of a large-scale and open grid of feeder roads that carry moderate to fast car traffic . The blocks of flats formed by this grid are usually about 16 hectares (about 400 meters by 400 meters). Within each block, the residential streets are arranged by crescent-shaped streets and dead ends in such a way that through traffic is prevented. In addition, a continuous network of footpaths provides access to public transport, shops and public facilities. Local residents can walk one block in about five minutes. The most intensive land uses, for example schools, public institutions, areas with dense development and the areas preferred by retailers are centrally located in the plan. These areas can be reached by two-lane access roads which in turn are connected to more distant destinations in the residential area.
The plan enables rapid vehicle traffic without compromising the safety and convenience of pedestrians. In the residential area, pedestrians are preferred because the walkway is more direct than the driveway. Cycle lanes are also favored because the passage for cars on these roads is less advantageous.
This neighborhood features are articulated by different plan economists of the 20th century and were consolidated, for example by Christopher Alexander in his book A Pattern Language (a pattern language ). This book contains a collection of design patterns, for example design pattern 49 (winding streets), design pattern 51 (green streets), design pattern 52 (path networks and car networks), design pattern 23 (parallel streets), design pattern 61 (small squares) and design pattern 100 (pedestrian zones) . These patterns can be found in every grid square of the fused grid.
The fused grid also adopts Clarence Perry's proposals for a residential area of 64 hectares and a ten percent share of the total area for open space and leisure and recreation. In contrast to the monotonous grids of older cities, a residential area cell designed using the fused grid model can have different configurations of 16 hectares. Although each cell differs from the other in design, each configuration retains all of its intended properties.
A retroactive application of the fused grid can be observed in the inner cities of old European cities such as Montpellier, Munich, Essen and Freiburg, as well as in the outskirts of the cities of Vauban, Freiburg and Hooten in the Netherlands. If the limitations of the built environment are taken into account, in most cases the grid merging that hinders traffic in the center and the transfer of the pedestrian network to the remaining grid are evident. In Canada, the fused grid is being promoted by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (Canadian federal agency for housing and construction).
A similar debate is taking place in Europe, particularly in the United Kingdom, where the term filtered permeability was born. This term describes urban plans that encourage pedestrians and cyclists to move around but restrict the use of vehicles. See also: Permeability (spatial and transport planning).
Individual evidence
- ^ Christopher C. Hawkins: Street network connectivity and local travel behavior: assessing the relationship of travel outcomes to disparate pedestrian and vehicular street network connectivity. 2008.
- ^ Macro-level collision prediction models for evaluating neighborhood traffic safety 2006, Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering volume 33. Lovegrove, Gordon R; Sayed, Tarek
- ↑ MELIA, S. ( Memento of the original from August 19, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , 2007. Eco Town Mobility. Town and Country Planning, November. and MELIA, S. 2008. Neighborhoods Should be Made Permeable for Walking and Cycling But Not Cars. Local Transport Today, Jan 23rd 2008.
