Remaking the City Street Grid

Of all the elements of a neighborhood, the pattern of streets and their infrastructure is the most enduring. Given the 20th century’s additions to the range of transportation means—trains, subways, buses, trucks, bicycles, motorbikes and cars—all vying for space and effectiveness, a fresh look at the streets is warranted. This book contributes a new system of neighborhood design with a focus on contemporary planning priorities.
Drawing lessons from historic and current development, it proposes a new pattern more fitting for modern culture, addressing such issues as walkability, mobility, health, safety, security, cost and greenhouse gas emissions. Case studies of national and international neighborhoods and districts based on the new network model demonstrate its application in real-world situations.
Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

Fanis Grammenos is the founder and director of Urban Pattern Associates, a planning consultancy and research firm credited with the conception of the Fused Grid model. He is a regular columnist for the Canadian Homebuilder magazine, a contributor to books and to planning journals, periodicals and web sites. He lives in Ottawa, Canada.
G.R. Lovegrove is a professor of civil engineering and a research lead at the Sustainable Transport Safety (STS) Research Laboratory, at UBC’s new School of Engineering in Kelowna, Canada. He is an author, contributor and expert consultant on sustainability texts used today by governments and universities across the globe. He lives in Kelowna, Canada.

Fanis Grammenos and G.R. Lovegrove
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 216
Bibliographic Info: 62 illustrations, appendix, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2015
pISBN: 978-0-7864-9604-4
eISBN: 978-1-4766-1768-8
Imprint: McFarland

Table of Contents

Preface  1
Introduction  5
1. The Idea of Pattern and Its Use  9
2. Networks and Their Users Under Stress  20
3. Adaptations, Transformations and Innovations  40
4. A Contemporary Pattern  79
5. The Fused Grid Design Process  104
6. Research Evidence on Key Expected Outcomes  123
7. Case Studies of Applications and Designs  147
Appendix: A Speculative Investigation into the Origins of Orthogonal Layouts  175
Chapter Notes  187
Bibliography  201
Index  205

“thought-provoking”—Sustainable Cities Collective; “a thoughtful and comprehensive overview of street design…meticulously detail[ed]”—Planning Institute of British Columbia.