Quote:
Originally Posted by John Martin
I don't really understand your statement. You make it sound as if blocks can't be split up and walkable with out having a strict, secondary half-scale grid. But surely they can. Mid-block (wherever that may be, certainly not strictly in the middle in many cases) connections can still be made around most mid-block buildings. Heck, it would give Salt Lake a more European feel if our blocks were split up with random web-like connections. Cities like London manage to be walkable despite a near-total lack of foresight and organization.
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No, it doesn't have to be perfect to be walkable... but even the zig-zag streets of europe have sight lines. One reason CCC was redesigned was to maintain sight lines on Regent Street. I agree that a perfect grid inside a grid throughout downtown isn't necessary for walkability... but even if you went to the side of one building, many times it's still not a straight shot through the block... I don't think pedestrians generally feel comfortable entering a space they can't see their way through... so in that regard I think Salt Lake's blocks are a bit of a mess and it's going to take a large effort on the city's part to ever open them up and make them walkable.
Here is a map I posted years ago to see how we might break the blocks up... it can be done, but it will take a concerted effort
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