In these austere times, some urbanists are advocating greater use of the traditional rectilinear grid — an efficient, less expensive, but also challenging pattern.
"A grid lowers per-unit infrastructure costs 35 to 40 percent compared to conventional suburban development, reports Jonathan Ford, a planner and civil engineer with Morris Beacon Design. In a study for EPA, he ran cost comparisons of various development scenarios for a South Carolina site. His research indicates that a rectilinear grid costs slightly less for infrastructure than a typical new urban modified grid, although more study is needed to get a more precise cost comparison, he says.
A bigger difference between a creative and a rectilinear street network could be the relative efficiency and the speed of implementation for builders and developers, Ford says. 'I love to design these [quirky, organic] layouts and the places that are created, but there are so many details that have to be designed right. It has to be done lot by lot.' [Kevin] Klinkenberg adds that if the layout is more complex, the developer may have fewer chances to replicate some designs and make money on them later in the project. 'The reality is that builders and developers really want to do simple, rectilinear buildings,' he says"
Thanks to Renee Gayle
FULL STORY: The case for the simple grid

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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service