Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-11-13
The Planning Of Cities.

1t is very rarely indeed, in England, that we
have to lay out an entire town de moro,
although in the United States and other new
lands It is done almost every day. The subject
is of very great Importance, involving the
convenience, economy and beauty Of buildings
and sanitary condition Of the thousands living
in the town. As far as we know, there are but
three systems at present in use. First, the
rectangular or gridiron system, where every
street is in q straight line and crossed at right
angles by other streets, second, where there is
no regular plan at all observed, but the streets
run about in glorious uncertainty, as chance
may have led them; and q third, mixture Of
the two previous systems, part being laid out
with regularity and part confused, this being
thel case with old towns that have been extend
ed by new. buildings. u . = d. r
Much has been said in recommendation of
the rectangular plan, and it has no doubt many
advantages; but, as respects convenience Of
traffic, We doubt if it is great improvement
on the pell- system. passenger wishing
to go from one part of a rectangular city dag
onally to another part, must therefore perforce
pass along two sides of 1.-THE square, or by base
and perpendicular, as there is no hypothenuse
or,which is equally prolonged, he must work a
Eigzag alternately to the right and left. Thus
a man at Chelsea would have to 20 to WAL
worth, or tantamount thereto, in order to reach
Hackney.
Now, in the mighty maze of London, which
we are so apt to censure, we can generally find
a street which will lead tolerably direct from
one spot to another. Thus at Picadilly we can
travel with reasonable rectitude either to Kill
burn, Islington, or Whitechapel. What we may
fairly complain of is the want of regularity of
system and Of continuity in the thoroughfares,
with their occasional contraction into painful
deiles.
A mixture Of the rectangular with the dag
onal system appears to US to combine the ad-
vantages of both plans, without any serious
drawbacks- We suggest that straight streets
should be laid ont, radiating on all sides from
the centre Of the town, and crossed by other
straight streets inscribed polygonally within
the circles struck from the same centre The
streets crossing the radiating streets might in
deed be perfect circles; but that, as in the case
of crescents, &c, would be inconven in the
planning Of the houses. In other words, an
octagon or other polygonal figure would be
formed with streets drawn from each corner to
the centre, and with other polygnogal streets
inscribed within the outer, and parallel to it;
Of course, in practice, the center must be an
open square, market place, or cathedral yard
Some time after striking out this plan, we
happened to observe spider's web, and it
proved in moment that the identical plan we
advocate has existed on q small scale in ma
ture for ages ANY one who can find q dis
tinct and complete web unbroken will see
how beautifully regular it is, and how perfect
ly adapted for the quickest passage from any
one point to another. The eoncentric rings
are not circles, but polygons, the radiating
lines exquisitely regular and straight
Of course it may be objected that in an old
country like this 1t is impracticable to alter
our towns to such a form; but even here new
towns occasionally spring up, and large addi-
tions are made to ancient ones; so that an ap-
proved plan, whether Of this or any other
form, may yet prove Of important use.-Lon-
don Butldsr .. ....... - -