Urban connectors
Introduction
The Fused Urban Plan (Eng. Fused Grid) represents the synthesis of two traditional North American systems used in the planning of residential neighborhoods: the traditional orthogonal layout of the nineteenth century — which is characterized by a design of rectilinear streets that intersect at right angles; and the traditional curvilinear layout of the modern suburb—which is characterized by a looped street design and culs-de-sacs. This synthesis of inherited and common traditions is achieved through the application of two practical means of planning: the use of orthogonal rectilinear geometry, which is a key feature of the Merged Urban Plan, and the use of looped streets and culs-de-sacs, which have generally been associated with curvilinear geometry. The second essential characteristic of the Merged Urban Plan, connectivity, is recaptured through a third planning element that completes the "system"—exclusive connectors for pedestrians between streets, which generally allow all modes of movement. These connectors are typically routed through open spaces that occupy central points in a neighborhood cell. In this way, the neighborhood's street network consists of a mix of streets, some dominated by pedestrians and others by cars. The complete system, although it may seem unknown, is composed of completely known and widely used elements.
The goal of the Merged Urban Plan is to provide a balance between vehicular and pedestrian movement[1], to create safe[2] and sociable streets, and to facilitate connectivity with community services. These attributes are achieved as the land use and infrastructure advantages of conventional suburban plans are maintained, compared to the traditional orthogonal plan. The open, orthogonal, rectilinear plan, which predominated in the layout of North American cities during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, was initially introduced around 2000 BC, and took the name "Hippodamian" from the name of the Greek urban planner Hippodamus (498 BC - 408 BC). Hippodamus used this plan in his urban layouts, particularly in the plan for the reconstruction of Miletus.
The Merged Urban Plan consists of an open orthogonal layout of collector streets that carry vehicular traffic at speeds that vary between moderate and high speeds. The large blocks formed by these collector streets generally have an area of 16 hectares (40 acres) and sides measuring approximately 400 meters (1/4 mile) each. Within each of these large blocks is a layout of residential streets that take the form of either loops or culs-de-sac—thus allowing only local traffic. Furthermore, within each of these large blocks there is an open and continuous pedestrian system that allows its users to directly access parks, public transportation and all types of commerce and community facilities. Residents can cross one of these large blocks on foot in approximately 5 minutes. The most intensively used areas, such as school areas, community facilities, high-density residential areas, and commercial areas, are located in the center of the Plano, which is reached by twin arterial streets—or twin connectors—that connect more distant district destinations.