GRIDDED PLAN CODE

The mid-century planners didn’t test the dendritic street network gradually. Architecture helps, but it is not fundamental.” If you get the transportation and land use right, and architecture wrong, it still works. “If you get the architecture right, and the transportation wrong, it doesn’t work. University of Colorado in Denver transportation engineer Wes Marshall says that New Urbanism is a transportation-rather than architecture-movement.

This means that new development will follow the walkable “neighborhood model” of development-similar to historic neighborhoods.įinally, a grid allows for “ transportation-driven urbanism” that is relies on the street pattern. The grid system allows for the creation of walkable neighborhoods with a mix of uses. Every gridded block will have built-in stormwater capacity-ensuring that new development does not add to the stormwater problem. A major reason for Bastrop choosing the grid was to reduce stormwater runoff that contributes to flooding. Grids allow for less asphalt, because streets can be smaller and more people walk and ride bikes-which means that less parking is needed. Stroads create the problem of “ big asphalt,” the concept that bigger is better when it comes to streets, intersections, and parking lots. That’s a Frankenstein mashup that doesn’t work very well. The stroads also provide access-like a street-to the destinations that seek to capture the traffic. Because development is far apart, the arterials must carry fast-moving traffic-like a road. A term coined by Strong Towns founder Charles Marohn, a “stroad” is a thoroughfare that mixes the qualities of streets and roads and serves neither purpose well. Dendritic systems concentrate both traffic and destinations like shops and schools on large arterial roads, which must carry all of the through traffic and their size makes a car necessary for most, if not all, trips.īecause the streets are smaller and and can serve a variety of functions, they eliminate the problem of stroads.

They allow for a tremendous variety of route options, which means that individual streets can be much smaller and therefore walkable. Grids also disperse traffic-rather than concentrate it. Having said that, a grid offers advantages over the dendritic street patterns that have dominated new development across the US for the last seven decades.įirst, a grid results in development with a high value per acre, which is closely associated with wealth creation and fiscally sustainable land patterns, according to Joe Minicozzi of Urban3, a firm that pioneered the concept of “ geoaccounting.” Bastrop conducted fiscal analysis of every parcel in the city to determine whether it was “revenue positive.” The best performing area of the city is downtown-the only place with a historic street grid. Second, Bastrop allows many fine-grained block variations within the overall grid-so developer and landowners will have a lot of flexibility to carry out plans. First, Bastrop is applying a grid where it makes sense-not where it is geographically impractical or environmental harmful.

GRIDDED PLAN CODE

“And within the code are variations of block type and building type patterns that enable variation and flexibility for developers.”īefore answering that question, I'll add two key points. “What an inspiring return to the wisdom of how we once planned walkable towns,” writes engineer Bert Kuyrkendall on LinkedIn. A ‘must-read’ for anyone interested in city development and public finance,” notes UC Ukaoma, a real estate manager, on Facebook. Way to go, Bastrop.”Īnd, “Fascinating and a bold move by Bastrop. Many readers made comments like urban designer Kevin Klinkenberg on Twitter: “This is the sort of growth management and design approach I’ve been wanting to see for over two decades. The goal is to achieve fiscal and environmental sustainability. Bastrop is applying the grid in unique and flexible ways. The city of about 9,000 people southeast of Austin has adopted a street grid for growth-one of the few cities that have taken that step since 1950.

The recent article on Bastrop, Texas, struck a chord with a lot of readers.

Gridded plan