The Fused Grid: A contemporary street pattern that addresses environmental and quality of life issues
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.”
To Learn More:
To learn more about the Fused Grid, click on this link to The Fused Grid: A Neighbourhood and District Layout Model on the CMHC website. The vision for the Fused Grid way of developing communities originated with Fanis Grammenos.
