Fused Grid can turn a neighbourhood into a fully connected realm and help create a healthy community

Taming the Flow—Better Traffic and Safer Neighbourhoods

A problem with conventional subdivision loop and curl street patterns is that they inhibit walking and are disorienting and confusing to pedestrians as well as to drivers. They provide tranquility, safety and security at the expense of connectivity. They control traffic well but often create bottlenecks at peak times in predictable spots.

According to Fanis Grammenos, a senior researcher with the Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation (CMHC), a solution is the Fused Grid. “This uses a continuous grid of roads for district and regional connectivity and a discontinuous grid of streets for  neighbourhood safety,” explains Fanis. “The latter (neighbourhood) grid is supplemented by footpaths that connect all streets, turning a neighbourhood into a fully connected pedestrian realm.”

The Fused Grid is increasingly attracting attention within the planning community – for example, the Fall 2008 issue of the Planning Commissioner’s Journal, a print and e-zine includes an article on the Fused Grid; also, the 2008 Canadian Housing Observer, an annual publication produced by Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation has a section on healthy communities and the Fused Grid.

What is the Fused Grid?

To learn more about the Fused Grid and the work of Fanis Grammenos, please click on this link to The Fused Grid: A Contemporary Urban Pattern; as well as these links to stories posted on the Water Bucket website:

• Greening the Grid – Low Impact, Fused Grid development in Calgary
• A Plan for Rainy Days: Water Runoff and Site Planning
• The Fused Grid: A contemporary street pattern that addresses environmental and quality of life issues.

To view images on flickr that show the Fused Grid model in 3D, click here.