Grid plan

Urban Plan of Palaio Faliro

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Pori 1799

Streetmap of Adelaide and North Adelaide

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Mapa Caesaraugusta

Grid plan or grid street plan is a type of city planning in which streets run at right angles to each other, forming a grid. The infrastructure is designed in such a way that it creates a network of streets that are easy to navigate and can efficiently distribute traffic throughout the city. This planning method has been used since ancient times and is found in many cultures around the world. It is particularly associated with the Roman Empire, which implemented grid plans in many of its newly founded towns.

History

The origins of the grid plan can be traced back to the Indus Valley Civilization and ancient Mesopotamia, where cities like Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa were laid out in a grid-like pattern. However, it was the Romans who extensively utilized the grid plan in their colonial towns, following a standardized approach known as the castrum. This involved dividing the land into rectangular parcels and was aimed at efficient land use and defense.

In the Middle Ages, the grid plan was less commonly used, with cities growing in a more organic and less structured manner. However, the Renaissance period saw a revival of interest in the grid, inspired by the ancient Roman examples. The Renaissance man Leon Battista Alberti advocated for the grid plan in his treatise on architecture, emphasizing its beauty and utility.

The grid plan became increasingly popular in the New World, particularly in the United States and Canada, during the 19th and 20th centuries. The Commissioners' Plan of 1811 for New York City is one of the most famous examples, laying out the streets of Manhattan in a rigid grid that has come to define the city's layout.

Advantages

The grid plan offers several advantages, including:

• Simplified navigation: The predictable layout makes it easier for residents and visitors to find their way around.
• Efficient land use: The grid maximizes the number of buildable lots, facilitating urban development.
• Easier provision of utilities: The regular pattern simplifies the installation and maintenance of water supply, sewerage, and electricity networks.

Disadvantages

Despite its benefits, the grid plan also has drawbacks:

• Monotony: The repetitive nature of the grid can lead to a lack of visual interest and character in urban landscapes.
• Traffic congestion: The uniform distribution of intersections can lead to traffic congestion, as there are no hierarchical road systems to distribute traffic efficiently.
• Environmental impact: The grid plan does not always take into account the natural topography, leading to potential environmental degradation.

Modern Usage

In contemporary urban planning, the grid plan is both praised for its efficiency and criticized for its rigidity and lack of adaptation to local conditions. Planners today often seek to combine the grid plan with other planning methods to create more varied, sustainable, and livable urban environments. For example, the concept of the superblock has been introduced in some cities to reduce through-traffic, while still maintaining the grid structure for local streets.

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