What Street Grids Reveal About a City

Author and blogger David Prowler takes a lighthearted and pictorial look at what the layout of a town's streets unveils about a city's history and aspirations.

1 minute read

March 27, 2014, 8:00 AM PDT

By melaniecj


Street Grid

romana klee / Flickr

The way a city's streets are laid out reveals much more than just a planner's vision. It tells a story of a town's history. In his article, author David Prowler examines how street grids reveal a city's fears, values, past and future.  For example, regarding San Francisco, he notes:

"San Francisco's layout ignores hills and even water. The city exploded during the Gold Rush, and the exuberant disregard of obstacles is reflected in the streets."

For a more visual excursion to street grid history, see his article in UrbDeZine.

Monday, March 24, 2014 in Los Angeles UrbDeZine

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