Brand, Julie

Haynie, Dawn

Mamoli, Myrsini

Peponis, John

English

ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University

Georgia State UniversityScholarWorks @ Georgia State UniversityArt and Design Faculty Publications Ernest G. Welch School of Art and Design2008Street Layout and Connectivity: the EvolutionaryConsequences of Normative ModelsDawn HaynieGeorgia State University, Shaynie@gsu.eduJulie BrandTexas Tech University, julie.zook@ttu.eduMyrsini MamoliJohn PeponisGeorgia Institute of Technology, john.peponis@coa.gatech.eduFollow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.gsu.edu/art_design_facpubPart of the Architecture Commons, and the Art and Design CommonsThis Abstract is brought to you for free and open access by the Ernest G. Welch School of Art and Design at ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University.It has been accepted for inclusion in Art and Design Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University.For more information, please contact scholarworks@gsu.edu.Recommended CitationDawn Haynie, Julie Brand, Myrsini Mamoli, and John Peponis. “Street layout and connectivity: the evolutionary consequences ofnormative models,” 4th ACSP – AESOP Joint Conference, Chicago, IL July 2008.4th ACSP – AESOP Joint Conference Chicago, Illinois | July 2008   “Street layout and connectivity:  The evolutionary consequences of normative models”  Dawn Haynie, Julie Brand, Myrsini Mamoli, and John Peponis   Abstract Morphological differences between street patterns have been described and documented using measures which capture the spatial connectivity and density of each type.  Dill (2003) described the most common measures, which include intersection density as well as the distance between those intersections, block density as well as the average block size, and street density.   The usefulness of the measures has been demonstrated by applying them to limited samples of urban areas to show how they capture intuitively evident morphological differences, for example between the grid street patterns and the cul-de-sac (Jacobs 1993).  Other studies have used these measures to demonstrate correlations between form and different aspects of function – pedestrian usage (Hess 1997), car usage (Crane and Crepeau 1998), or patterns of land subdivision (Southworth and Owens 1993) just to name a few.  More recently two new measures have been proposed. “Metric reach” captures the sum of street length reached from the middle of each road segment when moving outward in all possible directions for a given distance; “directional distance” measures the number of direction changes needed to get to all accessible parts of the system. (Peponis, Bafna & Zhang 2008).   Using GIS data from ESRI StreetMap 2003, we created a large database and analyzed 118 sub-areas, within the 12 largest metropolitan regions of the US, to compare the familiar planning measures along with the two new measures.  We have explored correlations between the measures to ascertain that they consistently capture differences in street layout. We then used them to capture coarse distinctions between different periods in planning history, particularly as the sample was divided – initially by a significant point in history, the year 1950, and then, by the overriding morphological principles governing the configuration of the street network.  Thus, we have quantified the familiar transformations associated with the suburbanization of the American metropolis – the creation of sparse, poorly connected, unintelligible space (Peponis, Allen, Haynie, et al. 2007).    In this paper, we focus on particular projects and areas of historical significance, mostly in the pre-World War II period, including Riverside, Radburn, and the Whitten study for New York.  We use the analysis in order to discuss the influence of these projects on subsequent developments. Specifically, we are interested in distinguishing between evolutionary trends which transform street layout but preserve connectivity, and trends which lead to increasingly less connected environments.   

Street Layout and Connectivity: the Evolutionary Consequences of Normative Models

Georgia State University

Georgia State University
ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University
Art and Design Faculty Publications Ernest G. Welch School of Art and Design
2008
Street Layout and Connectivity: the Evolutionary
Consequences of Normative Models
Dawn Haynie
Georgia State University, Shaynie@gsu.edu
Julie Brand
Texas Tech University, julie.zook@ttu.edu
Myrsini Mamoli
John Peponis
Georgia Institute of Technology, john.peponis@coa.gatech.edu
Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.gsu.edu/art_design_facpub
Part of the Architecture Commons, and the Art and Design Commons
This Abstract is brought to you for free and open access by the Ernest G. Welch School of Art and Design at ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University.
It has been accepted for inclusion in Art and Design Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University.
For more information, please contact scholarworks@gsu.edu.
Recommended Citation
Dawn Haynie, Julie Brand, Myrsini Mamoli, and John Peponis. “Street layout and connectivity: the evolutionary consequences of
normative models,” 4th ACSP – AESOP Joint Conference, Chicago, IL July 2008.
4th ACSP – AESOP Joint Conference 
Chicago, Illinois | July 2008 
 
 
“Street layout and connectivity:  
The evolutionary consequences of normative models” 
 
Dawn Haynie, Julie Brand, Myrsini Mamoli, and John Peponis 
 
 
Abstract 
Morphological differences between street patterns have been described and 
documented using measures which capture the spatial connectivity and density of each 
type.  Dill (2003) described the most common measures, which include intersection 
density as well as the distance between those intersections, block density as well as the 
average block size, and street density.   The usefulness of the measures has been 
demonstrated by applying them to limited samples of urban areas to show how they 
capture intuitively evident morphological differences, for example between the grid street 
patterns and the cul-de-sac (Jacobs 1993).  Other studies have used these measures to 
demonstrate correlations between form and different aspects of function – pedestrian 
usage (Hess 1997), car usage (Crane and Crepeau 1998), or patterns of land 
subdivision (Southworth and Owens 1993) just to name a few.  More recently two new 
measures have been proposed. “Metric reach” captures the sum of street length reached 
from the middle of each road segment when moving outward in all possible directions for 
a given distance; “directional distance” measures the number of direction changes 
needed to get to all accessible parts of the system. (Peponis, Bafna & Zhang 2008).  
 
Using GIS data from ESRI StreetMap 2003, we created a large database and analyzed 
118 sub-areas, within the 12 largest metropolitan regions of the US, to compare the 
familiar planning measures along with the two new measures.  We have explored 
correlations between the measures to ascertain that they consistently capture 
differences in street layout. We then used them to capture coarse distinctions between 
different periods in planning history, particularly as the sample was divided – initially by a 
significant point in history, the year 1950, and then, by the overriding morphological 
principles governing the configuration of the street network.  Thus, we have quantified 
the familiar transformations associated with the suburbanization of the American 
metropolis – the creation of sparse, poorly connected, unintelligible space (Peponis, 
Allen, Haynie, et al. 2007).   
 
In this paper, we focus on particular projects and areas of historical significance, mostly 
in the pre-World War II period, including Riverside, Radburn, and the Whitten study for 
New York.  We use the analysis in order to discuss the influence of these projects on 
subsequent developments. Specifically, we are interested in distinguishing between 
evolutionary trends which transform street layout but preserve connectivity, and trends 
which lead to increasingly less connected environments.  
 


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Street Layout and Connectivity: the Evolutionary Consequences of Normative Models

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