Peter Calthorpe's Radical Proposal For A New Urban Network

"Our transportation network is still a suburban grid of arterials punctuated by freeways. On occasion, a transit line may overlay this auto-oriented framework, supporting transit-oriented development and the revitalization of some historic towns and cities. But short of that, New Urbanism and Smart Growth are forced to take place within a network designed for sprawl.The alternative transportation network proposed here is diverse and complex. It calls for a new hierarchy of arterials and boulevards that allow for through-traffic without always bypassing commercial centers -- a road network that reinforces access to walkable neighborhoods and urban town centers without cutting them off from local pedestrian movement."